Her Reunion
by Kineticfairy
Summary: He could be her master… or her slave… [SasuSaku][Darkfic]
1. I: Shattering

**Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places are solely the product of Kisimoto Masashi.**

**A/N: This fic is suffering from AU and maybe even a little bit of OOC, but I'll try to keep it down.**

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I saw an angel descending from the sky carrying the key to the abyss and a large chain in his hand.

He captured the dragon, the ancient serpent who is the devil, Satan, and chained him for a thousand years.

He hurled him into the abyss and sealed him in so he would not wander among the nations until a thousand

years after which time he would be released.

-The Apocalyptic Millennium

The sky was thick with a blanket of dark gray silver clouds, black in some areas where the clouds seemed to seam. The clouds spat the ground, once… twice… six times then an onslaught of rain sprinkled the ground, pooling in some areas of the barren ground, turning dirt into mud.

The heavens rumbled with thunder, evenly spaced as if singing the song of battle. Hot white lightning flashed in the sky, chained together, slashed through the clouds and struck the earth.

Scientific theory proved that lightning never struck the same place twice perhaps it was because they never witnessed it or perhaps the weather was just abnormal on this hot July afternoon.

The earth crackled and bled red hot as the sky continuously pelted the earth in a straight line from one side to the other. The earth sunk into itself as though the hot bolts melted the earth and fire rose up from the ground in bright reds, oranges and yellows.

Its hot tongue licked at the air and caught on the puddles of water, flowing along the muddy earth. An orb the size of a basketball of white and blue electricity rose from the torn ground and discharged.

Under all the crackling, it sounded as though a thousand birds were twittering. It died as the glittering light faded, carefully lowering a mass of black leather on the edges of the broken ground. It unfolded revealing a wan body, the mass of leather protruding from the scapula of said body.

Languidly it rolled onto the mud, revealing another mass of leather and the face of a naked young man. Beautiful, enthralling and perfect, a mass of soot black hair atop his head, adorn with graceful brows, accompanied by aristocratic features. He was long in height and narrow in width.

The rain beaded and slithered down his elegant body as he furrowed his brows and groaned slightly. His lips parted and he struggled to open his eyes, grimacing eyelids lifted long dark lashes and revealed obsidian eyes that quickly flashed vermilion amid with three black marks in the form of the number six.

After a minute, he lifted his upper body and drew one leg up, removing the water that had collected on his face and eyelashes with the palms of his hands. He jerked his arms outward and pulled the arm muscles taut as he examined the metal manacles on his wrists.

His dark eyes widen as if he was struck with a thought, he stretched his arms a bit, flexed the fingers, listening to the severed chains jingle. He smirked, rested one hand over the metal circlet and it melted through, falling to the ground near his bare thigh, he repeated the action on the other circlet, stretched his arms a couple of times, popping the shoulders and then rose to his feet as the rain let up, sprinkling the ground softly.

_How interesting…_ He mused silently as he walked down nature's ashtray. Had it really been a thousand years? He peered up at the pale moon, a soft glow around its body. A wicked grin graced his features as he stretched out black wings, tipped with ebony bones.

Stretching the wings high above his head, he arched his back and cracked his neck. "A thousand years already?" a soft chortle slipped past his lips, a mere thought. "I wonder what shape this world has taken." Soon he found himself on an empty street. Cars and little shops lined the streets, bathed in the moon's graceful light.

He stopped in front of a menswear store and peered up at the mannequin donning black slacks and a white, untucked, dress shirt. He looked at it before he was donning it, the mannequin as nude as he had been. With a shrug of his shoulders he walked down the street, he raised the collar around his neck and shoved his hands into the pockets of the slacks.

He stumbled on the street, an echo pulsing through his senses. He had not felt it this strong since he first detected the power so many years before his fall. What a perfect time to be unsealed.

…

Haruno Sakura lay on her stomach in her new bed for the first time, since she moved to suburban Konohagakura. It felt strange. Hers was a nice place in a good building.

She had successfully earned a position as Chief Resident of Konoha Hospital, now all there was left to do was to buy the rest of her furniture, her possessions would not arrive for another three days.

She had no heat, she had to call the gas company to have it activated, but she was so tired from the drive down, she just wanted to sleep, bury her face in her pillow and fall into a beautiful insentience.

However, she rolled onto her back and sat up, rubbing her temple and racking her fingers through her long pink- oh, right- she cut her hair two days before her move as an incentive to begin her new life.

Suddenly her cell phone jutted out the chorus of Wind by Akeboshi. She slung her arm down, scooped up the metallic pink phone, and flipped it open. "Un, hello?" she grumbled into the phone, raking back her hair from her forehead.

"Hi, Baa-chan… nope, I just got in, I got the job down at the hospital." she sat up and drew her knees to her chest. The sun was bright, there was no need for the lights to be on, but she had it on anyway. Ever since, she was four years old, she could not stand to be without the light.

She had never seen the face of her father and she had long forgotten the look of her mother. She came into the care of her grandmother the same time she developed her nyctophobia. It was unhealthy she knew, it was one of the reason she strayed from dating. What man would stay with a woman who could not sleep in the dark?

"Yeah, I'll come visit as soon as I'm settled in… okay, take care of your self." She closed the phone and fell back against the sheet-less bed. Maybe pinks and whites, they were, after all, her favorite colors.

She heard her stomach's cry for food and so she rolled off the bed. Sakura had not time for food; she was moving in and an early interview but now that those things were out of the way, she should celebrate her new job with a sweet reward of treats and tea. She saw a cute little café on her way to the hospital that morning.

Sakura grabbed her keys on a cherry blossom keychain and left the apartment. "Hey, you there, with the wide forehead,"

_Eek,_ She thought, the loud feminine voice startled her nerves. At the door diagonal from Sakura's was a beautiful woman with a river of golden hair and pastel blue eyes. "Y-yes…?"

"You just moved here, huh?"

"I-I did." What the hell was she so nervous about, maybe it wasn't nerves at all, rather the way the woman seemed to be demanding things instead of pleasantly asking them.

"I'm Yamanaka Ino, welcome to the building." Sakura quickly bowed and then rose up, a smile on her face.

"Haruno Sakura, thank you very much." Ino shrugged and then went back into her apartment, lifting a heavy bag of groceries with her.

"Why don't I show you around?" Sakura blinked, she had just finished locking her door when the woman surprised her again, circling the railing so that they were on the same side.

"Well, I was going to go down to this little café I saw, I haven't eaten yet."

"I'll go with you."

_Pushy, pushy,_ Sakura thought and she closed her eyes. "Okay," Sakura was in no position to pass up friends.

They walked down to the shop, it was within walking distance, so were several other cute little shops, clothing stores, bookstores… those short of shops that were pleasant to the eyes of inner girls everywhere. They did not talk much on the way down but as soon as they entered the quaint little café she struck up a conversation. Ino asked about what Sakura did for work and that led to learning that was Ino working at a family flower shop.

"H-here you go." said the petite server with indigo locks and soft lavender eyes. She was so cute, standing there, serving them tea and sweet cakes all the while trembling like a twelve year old. She looked to be about the same age as Sakura and Ino.

"How old are you?" Sakura wondered with a pleasant smile, so not to offend the shaking girl.

"T-twenty one,"

"As I thought, thank you…" she trailed off, giving the girl room to introduce herself.

"H-Hyuuga H-Hinata." She said taking the money from Sakura.

"Well, H-Hinata, I'm Haruno Sakura and this is Yamanaka Ino." Ino lifted a hand with a smirk. Hinata smiled a tinge of bright red gracing her cheeks.

A little ways back from where the three young women chatted, two men sat in a booth way in the back, but having a rather clear view of the females.

The man on the left was relatively short, with a shock of yellow hair, mussed perfectly upon his head, his eyes were blue, the color of an innocent spring sky.

Under his eyes, three deep cuts marred each of his cheeks; it was what made him distinctive aside from the bright hair and the offensive orange of his jacket under a faded black tee amid pants to match his jacket. He gazed at Sakura more intently then the other two women before turning said blue eyes to the man sitting across from him.

He was a handsome man whose very aura demanded respect, admiration and obedience. Every line of his body held a casual elegance. His eyes were a dark shade of obsidian, impenetrable by any light, even the sun. His blue-black hair touched both cheeks and nape in an unruly cowlick.

His body was poise with lithe muscles and he was undeniably tall, even in his slouched position. His complexion was wan and flawless, unmarred by the elements. His fingers tapped the tabletop in a gentle, steady percussion that belied the wolf-watchfulness of his gaze.

His jaw, brows and handsome curve of his mouth gave him a regal appearance. He stretched his legs and crossed his ankles, lifting his dark lashes to examine the scene.

"Say! Say! Teme is that really her?" the blonde inquired, turning in the seat so his legs were outside the booth.

"Don't move," the dark hair man commanded, "lest we attract attention. Let's just wait for a moment." He drew a leg up to his chest, his booted foot pressing into the seat bench. He could sense the other's impatience, he could read him like an open book, the blond could not hide his emotions, and he effortlessly displayed them for anyone.

"Oi, what am I waiting for?" he hissed, briefly turning his eyes back to the man with the cool façade. The other lifted his hand, gesturing for him to close his mouth and wait. Even he was not a hundred percent certain if it was she. Following her because of a faint feeling, they needed something stronger, something he hoped they would soon get.

There, it happened when she rose from her seat, her voice ringing like a chime when she bid the girl in black and white farewell, her friend following her out the door. It sang like a soft ballad, rippled behind his eyes in waves of deep blues mixed with whites, the way the water wavered when a leaf touched the surface.

It felt like he was drowning and being resurrected all at once, his eyelids lowered as if it would ease the pleasant pain. He drew in a deep breath the moment the feeling vanished, the sounds of the café returning. "That," he stated, slapping some money on the table and standing, slipping out of the booth. "Come on, we're not done yet." His companion rose to his feet, shuffled out some money and followed quickly.

Sakura stretched and yawned… now she was all sleepy, the green tea had warmed her from the inside out, the sweet strawberry cake tickling her taste buds. She was ready to head on home, but she had no blankets or bed sheets. She defiantly needed those.

"Hey, Sakura, I have some things to do, you'll be okay, right?"

"Huh, oh, yes, I just need to go find some bed sheets, I think I'll walk around a bit." Ino and her said their goodbyes and parted ways. Sakura sighed and swung her arms a little as a means to keep awake. She looked at her wristwatch and frowned. It was getting late.

Bad things were filling her mind; her fear was creeping up on her… fast. She found the nearest shop and entered. _Just a blanket and sheet_ she told herself, passing a couple looking at a really cute lamp. She eyed them a little, as she entered the aisle for bedspreads and blankets and pillows.

They were adorable, the girl was two times shorter than Sakura and she had long ebony hair and gray eyes, her smile was so cute, her eyes fluttering shut as her boyfriend pressed his finger to the tip of her nose before kissing her on the lips.

Sakura blushed and turned her head away, finding a white bedcover, pink and white blanket. She grabbed the two items and hurried to the checkout line. Sakura smiled to see the sun still about, her nerves and fears calmed when the clerk started talking to her. He was cute with dark eyes and hair. Maybe she would come again tomorrow after her shift if she were not too tired.

She left the store with her oversize bag of blankets and sheets and started home. It was frigid outside, strange weather for a hot late July day. She felt her skin rise and watched as the sun began to sink below the horizon. She was not afraid because there were cars and people on the street. She drew in a long breath to keep her nerves steady.

There was still a glint of light for her to find her way home, she would be fine, and she just had to keep bad thoughts away. She glanced around, holding her bag close to her body as she noted that there were no more people, no more cars. The cold wind kissed her skin and mussed her hair.

She was not afraid of ghosts or monsters because there were no such things... people were monsters. She let the bag fall back at her side and she did what her grandmother had taught her when there was a power outage. Think of happier things, things that bring about a smile.

It was working.

The trees rustled in the breeze and she heard the beating of wings, birds fleeing the trees and specking the sky until they disappeared. She wondered what was going on.

First, they had a strange thunderstorm at the beginning of July and now the evening air felt as though snow would start to fall. _Sakura, _Her muscles tensed, she closed her eyes and pressed a palm to her forehead, laughing softly at herself.

She was hearing things, she deemed it so because she never _heard_ anything, rather it felt like a tickle at the back of her mind. A dark voice from within, not without.

…Sakura,

A little more forceful then before and she had to stop then. She looked around, her pulse quickening from fear and anger.

…Haruno Sakura.

"Who's there, show yourself!" she snapped, agitated, "Stop saying my name, it isn't funny!"

"I never thought you'd ask for me, but, I won't say I'm disappointed…" The voice was dark, the figure blanketed by shadows, the sun was gone, and the moon nowhere in the velvet sky, there were no winking stars either.

"I knew it was you, there's no mistaking the power behind your seal." This dark baritone voice was talking to her in riddles, she had no idea what he was talking about, and it was as if he were speaking to her in foreign language.

"You're as beautiful as your first form, you haven't been this lovely in the last few millennium, but of course then you've always slipped past me."

She could not breathe; she felt as though she were drowning, her brain was fuzzy. With every step he took, she thought she would faint, the darkness gathering at the corner of her vision.

Now when she could see his face her vision was blurry, his hand was slipping up under her shirt and she had no power to stop him. She was normally very ticklish, but she could feel only the numbness as his calloused fingers trailed higher.

His hand glided up the swell of her breast underneath the nylon bra she wore, then moved along the side her upper ribs until his hand was resting on her back. She heard of men having trouble with unclasping the eyehook, but he had no problems. It felt weird and she felt his short fingernails press against her scar.

On her back, underneath all her clothes, there was a large scar on her back. A large circle that covered her entire back and in the inside were several curved lines and tiny circles that resembled dots. She felt her eyes close as she fell against his torso.

His fingernail bit into her skin and she felt the warm, sticky slip of blood sliding down her back. There was no cry of pain, but she felt sick as he broke her skin, reopening such the old scar. She had it since birth; her grandmother had told her the story when she inquired about it.

Your father was an abusive drunk; if your Okaa-chan was not around and you were, he would take out his hate on you. Poor child that you are, he gave you that scar, because he thought your Okaa-chan was a Satanist and to mock her he gave you that scar.

She remember her grandmother hugging her then, telling her that only she loved her, was so happy to have a granddaughter, it was such a shame that both her parents didn't love her as much as her. It made Sakura cry to hear that even her mother did not love her, gave her away to keep her away.

She was crying now, from the memory, because there was no pain, only a warm body and a soft tearing sound and the feel of hot wetness on her back.

There were four diagonal lines from one end of the circle to the other, parallel and crossing each other like railing. There were a total of six 'dots' and he broke all eleven scars.

It was as though ice water splashed on her, she found her strength. Felt like a change had come over her or that someone had woken up inside her mind and was staring at the tall figure stumbling backwards as she shoved him away and took off, without her bag and her bra slipping down her shoulders while blood trailed down her open cuts.

Where she was going, she was not sure, but she found herself weaving through alleyways cluttered with trash, she could feel his shadow, following fluently behind her.

She felt so stupid, how she could let someone touch her like that, her cuts began to inflame and sting. She swallowed hard, her body protesting to every movement. She would blame heading into a dead-end on her screaming aches. She panted and thought three things.

She would be robbed.

She would be raped.

She would be murdered.

She turned around and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. How could it end like this, she had started a new life, she was going to die before her poor grandmother, her heart would be broken when she heard the news that Sakura had been killed.

It was coming down to fight or flight, she had tried flight, so maybe it was time to fight.

She opened her eyes just in time to see a body land gracefully in front of her; he stood straight and looked at her. She stared at him; he looked like the other, only shorter and his hair reflected in the now visible moon's light, making his hair seem deep blue.

"Hurry, teme _that_ man's not far behind." She looked up to see a man in bright orange with blond hair, shouting down to the man in front of her in a crouched position; he made a very nice gargoyle.

She looked back down at the 'teme' to see him looking over his shoulder before he waved his hand in front of her face in a quick sweep and stretched his arms out. She blinked, wondering what he thought he was… a magician…

No, a hypnotist… because she felt faint again, but this time her knees buckled and she fell forward and downward, but he caught her smoothly in his arms and hoisted her up over his shoulder.

Taking hold of the metal ladder, he rested a foot on the first step and jumped up landing on the rooftop where his companion sat. "Do it now," he ordered.

"Jeez, teme, a simple please would be nice." but he did what was required of him. With his index finger he traced a half circle that left a visible golden trail as he drew a horizontal line jutting out the center, with the image glittering in the air, he rolled up his sleeve and pressed his palm flat against the image and they disappeared into the night.

"Very good, but you can't hide her forever." seethed the voice.

…

They placed Sakura carefully on an old mattress inside an abandon and condemned building. "She's so beautiful," the blond one whispered in awe, gliding his finger along her tear-stained cheek. "What do think," he asked, looking up at his friend, who was pushing the girl's body forward, "I think she would make an excellent life-mate."

Clenching his teeth, he shot a dark look with those impenetrable eyes. "Shut up!"

"…and to think _you're_ the favorite."

"She's bleeding; a lot… her seal's been broken." he whispered, choosing to ignore his companions little remark. "Look at the writing." Naruto leaned over Sakura and saw the tattooed marks of ancient writing.

"If her seal is broken then she'll wake up right?"

"No… it's… incomplete." He said bringing a clean cloth to her back, rolling her onto her stomach and lifting her shirt all the way up over her flaccid arms and over her head. He discarded the shirt and moved the straps off her skin.

He heard the door creak open, but he continued to tend to Sakura's wounds. He was placing strips of gauze onto her injuries. "Is that her?" The new voice asked, the sounds of his shoes making the floorboards creak under his weight.

"Yeah, it's her, believe it! Neji-san, Sasuke says her seal's broken, but she won't wake."

"Sasuke…?"

Without looking up, he could feel the lavender eyes staring through him to the girl he was treating. "Naruto's right, this is her." He came to them then.

Crouching beside Sasuke and reaching his hand out to turn her face up. He blinked a little, the loose strand of his chocolate hair falling over his shoulder, the rest tied at the very ends in a wrap.

He wore a black pinstripe shirt under gray sleeveless tee, one bandaged arm lifting to press his bandaged hand to the tie around his forehead, covering the mark on his brow. "It is her, that's the seal Shikamaru gave her in the second Millennium. _He_ broke it, didn't he."

He narrowed accusing eyes at Sasuke. "You were suppose to be watching her, how could you let him get so close, can you imagine what would have happened if he had completely broken the seal, she could have been his puppet."

"Just shut up all ready, she's safe isn't she? That's all that matters, besides telling her when she comes to."

"You're in for a rude awakening, Uchiha, even you won't be protected."

"Don't dare to threaten me, Hyuuga." he hissed back, his fingers leaving the sterile gauze as he shot a dark look of his own in Neji's direction. Both men stared menacingly at the other until Naruto thought it best to break the silence.

"The others will be back soon, so let's chill out till then, huh?" There was dark silence, but both complied, Neji standing and leaving the room, while Sasuke continued to treat Sakura's wounds.

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So... tell me what you thought, go ahead, they don't but that selection button down there for no good reason, you know?


	2. II: Mediator

This seemed like a good idea since some of you wish for clairty, this will be updated accordingly:

Index of Characters:

Aburame Shino: Shino is Uriel the Elemental Angel of Earth and one of the Seven Great Angels. He is one of Sakura's guardians although she only remembers his real name and nothing else

Akimichi Choji: The sin: Gluttony. He is helping the Seven Great Angels, for a price of course...

Haruno Sakura: Sakura is Gabriel the Elemental Angel of Water and one of the Seven Great Angels, but under great and grave circumstances she has no memory of her past lives and her powers were sealed within her.

Hyuuga Neji: Neji is Ragual and one of the Seven Great Angels. He is in charge of protecting Sakura at all costs. Sasuke and Neji barely get along, each trying to outdo the other, although both know what is more important and when to get along.

Hyuuga Hinata: Hinata is a young woman working at the cafe Sakura and Ino ate at, very shy and very sweet... she's rather a mystery.

Inuzaku Kiba: Kiba is Remiel and one of the Seven Great Angels, his job is to protect Sakura from the one who would use her against the worlds.

Nara Shikamaru: Shikamaru is Sariel **and one of the Seven Great Angels, he is not an Elemental Angel however. He sealed away Gabriel forcing her to be reincarnated within every millennium. **

Uchiha Sasuke: Sasuke is Michael the Elemental Angel of Fire and one of the Seven Great Angels. He is the younger brother of Lucifel although their relationship is anything but brotherly. He is the charge of Gabriel and Haruno Sakura. He is the leader of the others simply because he is the favorite.

Uzumaki Naruto: Naruto is Raphael the Elemental Angel of Wind and one of the Seven Great Angels. He is Sasuke's best friend. He has deep seated feelings for Sakura despite his knowledge of how Sasuke feels, and although she only remembers his real name, he still wishes to make her his life-mate.

Yamanaka Ino: Ino is Sakura's next door neighbor, a rather boisterous, imposing young woman.

A/n: If you still don't know who 'he' 'that guy' and 'him' are you'll just have to wait until the next chapter. Also I was asked what nyctophobia was so here it is: an irrational fear of the night, or of darkness in general.

Special Thanks: sasusakufaves, PurpleRox, DarknessFlameWolf, AkaDzai, cweam and cheese, Kenya, lilcrazygurl, Sirona of Arabia, petite.ina, Silver Spirit, Laura-chan, moodiful819

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For once there was an unknown land, full of strange flowers and subtle perfumes, a land of which it is

joy of all joys to dream, a land where all things are perfect and poisonous.

-Velvet Goldmine

The warm afternoon air filled with the songs of the birds. The tall lush grass swayed with the playful breeze. One boy and one girl lay in a field scattered with buttercups. The air was fragrant with the scent of nature all around them.

She had long glossy pink hair and jade green eyes; she was dressed in a white and gold term chemise. She wore six rings on her fingers and a single gold and jade bangle.

Cupped gingerly in the palm of her hand was a dove singing sweetly to her as she stroked its soft plumage. A smile played on her lips as it twittered for her.

His hair was as black as a starless midnight and he had his eyes closed, lounging under the girl in the tall grass. He wore a dark indigo shirt with a high collar and long white slacks, three fingers adorn with silver rings and five bangles on each wrist.

Between his teeth, a long blade of grass stuck out, as he cradled the back of his head with each palm. She draped over his taut stomach half supported by his thigh, cross over one knee. The warm breeze carried the songs of heaven to their ears.

Everything was peaceful in this garden. The clouds lolled in the azure sky and faintly under all the calls of the birds, she could hear the lazy chewing of the grass in his teeth.

"Michael," she whispered softly, releasing the bird and rolling over so that she was prone over his stomach, her cheek cradled by her palm, while her other hand moved his dark forelocks from his eyes.

Slowly one obsidian eye opened and she smiled at him. He closed his eye again as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. When she drew away again, his eyes had opened taking on a harder glow.

"Passable," he said unaffectedly. "Feel free to try it again in another millennium. Until then, don't waste my time." His arms came out from under his head and he grabbed her forearms and pushed her back as he sat up.

"I-I'm sorry, Michael." He shook his head, his dark eyes soaking in her image. She was beautiful, with pink hair and green eyes, so innocent, so eager to learn and to please and her wings so small in comparison to his, fine threads of white hair spilled over each appendage.

"Don't apologize, Gabriel. Just don't do it again, you're too young." he patted her head and rose to his feet, she followed suit and he shook his head. Trust the Master to put her under his charge; such was the responsibility of being the brother of the favorite.

He was in agony; those who overlapped their realm often gave his kind too much credit. His kind were beings so easily persuaded, being creatures of such purity; they were anything but shining and sweet, with golden hair and eyes the exact color of a sunlit sea.

The only one who fit that description was Raphael, but he was more bubbly and naïve then anything else.

He headed for the pristine palace of ivory and gold trimming, she followed him, her arms coiling around his arm tightly, her womanly body pressing against him, she smiled coyly and he turned around and leaned against the wall of the palace, bringing her against him. "Michael?"

He closed his eyes, a pensive look on his face as he pressed his lips together. "Be quiet for a moment." Then he heard the voices from a distance and she turned her face from him, the arguing was getting louder. It had started about five days ago, everyone was arguing with one another.

He lifted his hands and pressed them to her ears and those deep green eyes met his gaze again. "Michael, why is everyone fighting?"

"Because Gabriel, Lucifel, is having his tantrum again." her fingers curled into his shirt as he bent down to kiss her brow. "Ignore the talk, Gabriel; Lucifel's words are like a virus infecting the body."

"That's not fair, Michael, he's still your brother." his brow ceased at those words. Whatever blood proclaimed the two he still disliked that man.

"Shh!" he hissed, angrily. "You're young; you still have room for mistakes like that, Sakura." She pushed him hard on the chest, propelling herself backwards.

"Stop teasing me, Michael, it's not my fault my hair is this color." her green eyes sparkled with tears she refused to shed, he grinned and snatched her wrists pulling her close, mentally asking his Master for forgiveness when he pressed her close.

"Such a charming forehead," he pressed a kiss to her brow for the second time, "and cheeks…" one kiss to the left plain and one to the right, making her blush profusely, she was so cute. He felt like she was his gift. "And that nose." he kissed it so softly she did not physically feel it. "And my favorite part…" he leaned close, "…these Sakura petal colored lips."

"But you said-"

"Close your eyes," he murmured. "My Sakura, Close your eyes." A thousand dreams and a thousand hushed commands. She did as he told her, and his hand moved to cradle her cheek, her neck, his thumb stroking the line of her jaw as his lips stroked back and forth, making delicious friction.

When his tongue found hers, she dug her fingers into the cloth of his shirt. When he brought up his other hand to push his fingers though her hair, she took a deep gasping breath against his mouth, all she could inhale, and he stole it back from her with a low, masculine sound in his throat.

…

She felt like she was just coming out of a coma. She was warm, numb, and hungry and she could not really remember anything. She could remember strange men, darkness, and fear. She could remember running, too. After that, everything was fuzzy as if she had been drinking champagne the night before. She rolled over, sheathed in a white cover.

She stretched languidly, arching like a cat rousing from a nap on a windowsill bathed in the evening sun and she rubbed her head, running her fingers through her hair. Nice and short, unlike that dream she had where a man with angel wings kept calling her 'Gabriel'. She pressed her hand over her eye. "Michael." she mumbled and then heard rustling and a very clear 'Hn'.

Fully awake, she sat up, her first mistake. The sheet slipped, pooling into her lap haphazardly. He was staring, eyes wide, as if he could not look away. She yanked the sheet up high to her chest. Why was she naked? "Who the hell are you?" she demanded unpleasantly, her voice like glass biting into skin. "And where the fuck is my clothes?"

"They're gone, cannot have you walking around with blood on your clothes. My name is Uchiha Sasuke and your very autonomy is in dangerous." Thank god, she was smart or she would be staring at him like a goldfish. So her freedom was in jeopardy, was that what he said?

"I bet you say that to all the girls," she replied harshly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"This isn't a game; there is a man out there that would like nothing more then to use you against this world and the next." She had no idea what he was talking about now, but being in the same room as a man who was perched with his knees drawn to his chest on an open windowsill was beyond uncomfortable.

"I want my clothes."

"And you'll get them; Naruto should be back with them about now." Just as he finished his sentence, the door swung open and she drew the sheets over one shoulder. The blue-eyed man gaped at her, a bright hue of red covering both cheeks and nose.

"Close your mouth, dobe," snapped Sasuke and he did just that, the blush still present. He walked over to Sakura, bent over the foot of the mattress she was sitting on and presented her with the bag. "You wanted clothes."

"How about… you know… some privacy?" Sakura snapped, yanking the bag from Naruto's hand.

"She's feral, dobe; sure you still want her for your life-mate?" he had a mocking smirked on his lips and she narrowed her eyes, what was that… life-mate?

"Excuse me!" she demanded but both ignored her and left the room. She grumbled under her breath and opened the bag. "My God!" she breathed, looking at the shirt.

It was a lavender baby mesh top, a tank-style top with a rouched bodice and floral accent with an elegant plunge in the neckline and black stretch capri pants. She hurried to put them on, discreetly under the blankets, just in case.

There was also a pair of pink four-inch heels with a pointed toe. Complete in the outfit she looked down, thinking how cute, she wish she had a mirror to examine herself in. How a creepy person like that smiling idiot had such remarkable tastes was beyond her.

It felt weird all the bandages on her back against the material of the shirt, but now that she had clothes she could get the hell out of this musty vintage apartment building, this place was so old and creaky that it just had to be condemned.

She snuck out the window and headed down the metal steps, holding delicately to the railing incase the damn thing decided to topple on her.

"Sakura-hime, please refrain from taking another step." She looked up from her feet to see another man; this one had black hair, a heavy overcoat and dark circular sunglasses. He looked so familiar, she wanted to say it was something like Uriel, but she did not even know that name, let alone the stranger in front of her who seemed to know her name.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Even though she could not see his eyes, he looked thoroughly shocked; he stepped back and gave her an elegant bow before standing straight again so that he towered over her.

"I am Aburame Shino, at your service."

"My service?" she could not help but look at him with suspicion.

She had no idea what was going on. Here she was, plain, ordinary, Chief Resident Haruno Sakura in an outfit she would have never bought on her own, in a building she would have never stepped foot in, with gauze taped over her entire back and surrounded by rather attractive men she would never have surrounded herself with.

"Yes of course, you are who you are." Before she could ask what he was talking about the metal railing rattled and she turned around to see Sasuke leaning out the window.

"Hey, Shino, get her back in here!" the raven hair man demanded and before she knew what was happening, she lifted around the back of her knees and lower back, cradled like a child.

"Hey put me down! I can walk!" she thrashed about in his arms, but he did not comply with her wishes, some service! "I said, put me down!" she screamed, her face flushed. Sasuke leaned back inside as Shino climbed in through the window, placing Sakura on the mattress.

Naruto made a low whistle, looking Sakura up and down and she glared dangerously at her. "I didn't even know what I was shopping for, but she sure looks great in that outfit."

Sakura ripped off one of the heels and tossed it at Naruto, nailing him in the head, his head snapped to the side as he howled in pain, his hand slapping to the cut over his eyebrow where the heel nicked him. "Shut up, I'm not some object to be stared at I want to know what the hell is going on and I want to know right now!"

"Sakura-hime, please everything will be explained." She defiantly hated this, now instead of trapped with three weird men there were four. He came to stoop in front of her. She had never seen eyes like his… they were just lavender, there were no pupils.

He was beautiful with his elegant bones under flawless lightly tanned skin and dark chocolate hair, some shorter strands curtaining his face. She wanted to touch him, she thought she might feel something if she touched him. She felt like calling him Raguel.

The way she felt like calling Shino, Uriel… she felt like calling Naruto, Raphael. She wanted to call Sasuke… "Michael."

They all looked over at Sasuke, who shifted nervously, uncrossed his arms, pushed off the wall and left the room. "Sasuke-"

"Let him go, Uzumaki." She blinked as they all looked over at her again. "Say it, every name you want to say that you aren't saying."

"What are you a mind-reader? I am not saying anything! I want to go home! Look if it's money you wan-"

"You can't, there is someone very dangerous out there who wants your dormant power. You know who we are." She wanted to slap him, forget touch him because he was beautiful, she was losing interest in his features, she was seeing red with their stupid mumble-jumble.

"I don't know anything!" She screamed in his face, ripping off her other shoe as she dared to push him away. She tossed the shoe behind her and headed for the door. Naruto blocked her way, sealing them in the room. "Fuck you!"

"You really should watch your mouth." Naruto said, frowning at her.

"Listen and I mean really listen. There are things happening here that are beyond your grasp. You are-" The wall exploded, bursting plaster and brick. Sakura barely had time to lift her arms when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and pull her out of the way.

Opening her eyes she stared at the broken wall, the whole side of the building was torn out except for the window frame still standing on a platform of bricks. She took in a couple of breaths and looked up to see herself in Naruto's protective hold.

Shino ran to the edge of the wall, some floorboard crumbling under the toe of his boots. He backed away as though fire was surrounding him. "Shit, Neji-san it's him!"

"Fuck! I thought we would have at least another day before he located us." He turned to Naruto. "Find Sasuke, and no matter what he says make sure he does his job. Shino, go find the others and hurry up, I don't want to end up dead distracting this demon."

While Shino and Naruto turned towards the door, Neji ran towards the opening in the wall and jumped out of the room. Sakura screamed it was such a high jump; he could not walk away without breaking a bone, most likely his neck.

"Wait! What's going on!" she screamed as Shino and Naruto headed down the stairs at the end of the hallway. Sasuke was running up the stairs, looking like he woke from a nightmare. Shino ran in the other direction as Sasuke met halfway with Naruto.

"What was that?"

"That guy is here." Naruto screamed, Sakura still flailing about. His startled look changed into one of excitement, there was a curve on his lips.

"I've been waiting for this."

"NO!" Naruto shouted. "Neji says you have to do your job!" Sasuke clenched his jaw, his hands tightening into his fists.

"Give her to me can you open a gateway again?" Sasuke reached out for Sakura and he shifted her into his arms still against her will, but he held her tighter then Naruto had. "We need to move."

"Not this time, I can only do it once every three days. I told you, teme!"

"Okay, that means we're stuck to one option. I think there was a truck a couple feet away. Damn it, to think Neji is fighting my battle."

"Hello! What's going on here?"

"Could you be quiet Sakura, I'm strategizing here."

Oh, he was going to hear her mouth and that was just what she did as they carried her away like some precious cargo. The sun was starting to go down, she wondered how long she had been out, but it was a fleeting thought, she had other things on her mind as they slipped her into the truck, seated between them.

"What you're stealing?" she demanded, aghast as she watched as Naruto hotwired the trucked, Sakura drew her legs up as he connected the wires, got a hefty shock and Sasuke shifted the clutch, pressed down on the gas and sharply peeled out. Sakura screamed as they sped down the street.

There was a flash in the sky in the rearview mirror, bright reds and blues and golds and she wondered what was going on, she felt trapped and alone and she just wanted normal… maybe she should have never moved. She was too greedy. Wanting a higher paying job, living in a nicer neighborhood, why couldn't she just be happy with her grandmother, things were so wonderfully boring then.

"Naruto," Sasuke voice broke the heavy silence. "Take the wheel." and he let go. Naruto freaked and took the wheel. Sasuke pushed open the door. "Sorry, I can't run this time Naruto. Take care of her."

"What?" Naruto shouted, trying both to watch the road and Sasuke.

"Take fast hold of instruction; let _her_ not go: keep her; for she _is_ thy life." Sakura wondered if he was quoting something, it sounded like a proverb or something.

"Stop jesting, Sasuke, Sasuke!" Sasuke jumped out of the truck and Sakura raised her hands to cover her eyes, screaming again. She peeked through her fingers to see Sasuke standing, unhurt and watching the truck before turning and running as fast as he could the way they came.

"That stupid…" Naruto shut the door as he crawled over Sakura, who pushed back to the other side of the door, wishing she were brave enough to jump out of the car too. She had to ditch these people. They were all psychotic.

"What in god's name are you people?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you myself, you have to wait for Sasuke."

"Neji was going to tell me."

"He had the okay. Sasuke is the favorite, so he has more authority over us. Look, just don't leave my side okay, I'll do my best to protect you, I'll die before I let that guy take you."

"What guy, I'm in the dark here!"

"I'm taking you someplace safe, I'm sure the others will know where we are." He took a left without the directional signal on, almost causing an accident as he took the highway.

"Where?" she demanded, pulling the seatbelt on as he swerved in and out of lanes, getting angry blares from other cars.

"Sanctuary of course!" he said, weaving in and out of another lane. He was going to get her killed, so much for his valiant rant about protecting her life.

"Do you even know how to drive?" he laughed then, one hand going behind his head to rub his neck. Oh, no, she _was _going to die, without knowing the touch of a man, without as much as a kiss, she would die a virgin!

"Well, there is a first time for everything." She wanted to strangle him, in fact… "H-hey, I'm t-trying t-to d-drive he-here!" he said between breaths as she squeezed his trachea.

"You stupid… idiot, you'll kill us! Stop the car, stop the car!"

"Get off me!" he pushed on her face and her hands released his throat to move his hand off her cheek and mouth. She spat and leaned against the seat as they finally got off the highway and onto a desolate road. She looked around and switched on the overhead light. "What are you doing?"

"It's getting dark," she explained matter-of-factly.

"What are you afraid of the dark?"

"Shut up!" she snapped, folding her arms over his chest as he slowed down his driving.

There only existed bits and pieces of this road, and it defiantly seemed to lead to nowhere. There were stationary automobiles.

Thrash and junk littered the barren fields and roads and there was a gated garden, or more like a dump of snarled plants and moss, chained up within a damaged and rusty chainlink fence.

There was spray paint everywhere in bleeding reds, yellows and greens. Some words seemed to be in Latin, others in crude language her grandmother would faint from seeing.

"I thought you said, we were going to sanctuary," she muttered as he killed the engine and pushed open his door.

"Yeah, this is it. Come on." She unbuckled her seatbelt and pushed open her door, lucky to find a flashlight in the side panel. She checked and found it in good working condition, it was not strong enough, but as Naruto put his arm around her shoulder, she felt a little calmer.

Naruto pushed open the gate until it caught on the chain, but it kept no one out, the space was wide enough to slip both Naruto and herself into the garden.

He took her to the rotting and thickly vine-covered gazebo; it was the size of a cabin, littered and painted with graffiti. He broke some of the dead twigs and cleared a path for her.

Everything smelt like soot and smoke and it was cold, she shivered as she sat down in a broken chair, which surprisingly held. "Cold?" he inquired and she nodded, holding the flashlight up.

He removed his jacket and offered it up. She thanked him as he draped it over her shoulders. "I- I'm sorry this is happening, to be thrust into this world without any kind of warning, we wanted to send you dreams, but… Sasuke thought it would be too nerve-racking."

"Send me dreams?" He mocked zipping his lips and she smiled, tears running down her face, she could not hold them back anymore. He looked distressed at her state and quickly knelt in front of her, his hands cupping hers as she squeezed the shaft of the flashlight.

"Please understand, you're very dear, not only to this world, but to us, our side. We've missed you Sakura, every era we have to go without you, we've missed you."

"I don't understand," she sighed, wiping her tears on her shoulders. He cupped her face then and kissed her forehead. "Raphael." she murmured and he pulled back, his hands falling from her face.

"W-What…?"

"What?" she asked, as if she never said anything at all. He pressed a finger against his ear as if clearing out water.

"Um, nothing, I thought you said something." he shrugged and rose and he hurried to light the candles that had been placed on the guardrail. She felt even safer now; the light was much brighter and not as secluded… although she was afraid the building might burn down. "This is such a waste; it used to be so nice."

"Was it?" she wondered, still hunched over her knees holding onto the flashlight as though it was the only thing keeping her sane.

"Once upon a time, but those days are over." There was so much he was hiding from her, it seemed he was desperate to share, but was forbidden to do so. She closed her eyes when he sat down on the dust-covered floor, careful of the rotting wood in front of him.

"Why'd you have to bring her here, you know that's one tight squeeze." they looked up to see a man with copper hair and a bag of food in his hand.

"Choji, man, am I glad to see you, where're the others?" the portly man blinked then stuffed a pretzel into his mouth.

"…Others? They're not here too?"

"No! That person came looking for Sakura-chan and Sasuke went back to fight him, you know Sasuke!"

"Yeah, thinks his superior to everyone else." he ate another pretzel and Naruto snatched the bag. "Hey, give it back. I am helping you people out, I do not have to, ya know. I could be on his side."

"Shut up and feed Sakura-chan. You stupid glutton!" he handed Sakura the bag and she had to eat, she only had that strawberry cake and that was yesterday afternoon. "Sins…" Naruto huffed, pulling out a candy bar and tossing it to Choji. He caught it between his hands and ripped it open, and began eating.

This time they heard the rattling of the fence. Naruto broke away more of the branches and instead of three men walking through the mess of the garden there were five. There was Neji, Shino, Sasuke, and two Sakura had not yet met.

Neji and Sasuke looked the worse, cuts and bruises along their skin and their clothes tattered. Sakura rose from her seat and it fell back. She ran past Choji and Naruto and held onto the frame, stepping down the steps. She looked between the two; Shino was cut on the cheek, but not as bad as Sasuke or Neji.

"So this is her, huh?"

"Yes, Kiba, this is the one our mediator abandoned to fight _him_."

"Shut up, Shikamaru!" Sasuke snapped, brushing past Sakura and heading up into the gazebo, "Why is this fucking sin here?" Sasuke snapped, eyeing the fat man who had stolen back his bag of pretzels.

"What does it matter Sasuke, he's on our side." Naruto retorted.

"Yeah, mediator so shut up for once… let's just get this over with so this poor girl isn't stumbling around in the dark about her lives." Kiba said, pushing down the hood of his gray sweatshirt.

Lives… now she was sure she had hit her head and was in some horrible dream. Why could not she just wake up all ready?

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Remember: Only you can help update stories! To the go button, away!


	3. III: Teamwork

Patience is a virtue and you all have it, I actually finished this story last night, but my god, I'm so… so tired and then I spent all of today checking for errors. Anyway here you are chapter three of her reunion, I hope this is dark and filled with happy little SasuSaku moments.

**Index of Characters:**

**Uchiha Itachi: The High Lord of Hell, cast from the heavens for the rebellion against the Master, in which his baby brother defeated him, sealing him within the abyss and chaining him up for a thousand years. Freed again, there is only one thing clear about his goals… he wants Haruno Sakura.**

**Yamanaka Ino: Ino is Sakura's next-door neighbor, a rather boisterous, imposing young woman with her own batch of secrets.**

**A/N: There you go the moment you people have been waiting for the identity of 'he' oh, some of you were off with your first guesses, but your second-guesses were spot on!**

**Special Thanks: sleepykittycat, runwithskizzers, cweam and cheeze, Tamiko-Chan81, princess Serenity7777, sakura1258, Ur2tRoUbLeSoMe90, Laura-chan, Lady Madison, DarknessFlameWolf, Bundyangel, UchihaSakura 87**

**Acknowledgements: tigerfly-twins and InterwovenEmotions: For catching my error so that I could correct them, thank you very much, I went right to sleep after posting the story and I forgot to double check the index of characters.**

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What time his pride had cast him out from Heaven,

With all his host of Rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiring to set himself

in Glory above all his Peers, He trusted to have equaled the most High…

and with ambitious aim against the Throne and Monarchy of God

Raised Impious War in Heaven.

-Paradise Lost

It was all a lie. That was all she could think. All six of them were liars. "You- you're lying." she said, staring up at them, looking one particularly in the eyes. Black clashed with green.

"I wouldn't lie about something like this… besides I can't lie." He voice was smooth like silk, his face unchanging, he never even batted an eyelash as he relayed the story about her so-called past, they all agreed to it.

Every word was truth to them, she laughed, pushing her fingers to her temple. Wings, divine intervention, powers she knew she did not have. All she could say was it sounded like a fanatical story they all wanted her to believe.

She could prove with scientific method to back up everything that happened. Science could prove everything; theology had nothing to do with it.

She fainted when his hand waved in front of her face because she was losing blood rapidly and she really had not a proper meal.

A bomb could have easily torn the wall away; it was such an old building. Lastly, Uchiha Sasuke could have rolled away without killing himself because of an angle he took, just like Neji's fall.

"Then I don't believe you." she said quietly. The others looked amongst each other and then dispersed; leaving Sasuke to stare down at the girl, he had proclaimed an 'angel' only an hour ago.

He stepped to where she sat against the chair she had been sitting on before it crumpled from rot and age. "Believe me, don't believe me, it makes no difference, you are who you are and we are to protect you."

He crouched in front of her, his expression the same as always. "Stop saying that, stop saying: you are who you are." she bit out. "My name is Haruno Sakura, this scar on my back is just that, it isn't a seal or some magic container." her fingers wound into the hem of her shirt.

"I'm a doctor, I've missed my first day on account of you and that stupid disaster you call Naruto, the movers are going to be at my apartment with my stuff and my grandmother is probably worried out of her mind over me." she shook her head and looked down at her hands. "I'm an accomplice to stealing somebody's truck and speeding and possibly trespassing."

"You've got bigger things to worry about," he told her in a voice that fell on the air like a caress. It glided across her skin so soothing.

She laughed again, bitter and broken, her eyes met his again, the candlelight flickering over his handsome features. He reminded her of the picture of Cupid and Psyche, where the wife of the god held a candle above his head, staring down at the beauty fast asleep.

The hair and eyes were all wrong, but that was all she could think as she stared up at him. "Michael." he visible flinched. "Michael."

"Stop saying that."

"Why, it bothers you doesn't it?" he rocked back on his heels and their eyes met with intensity this time, his jaw clenched and he looked like he wanted to wrap his fingers around her throat and compress the life out of her until her eyes were a glassy dull green color.

"You don't know Michael, you only the name." his hand reached out and she closed her eyes, thinking he might just kill her, but he had told her that he never lied.

He drew his hand back, never touching her and she opened her eyes. "Why are you afraid of the truth? When one accepts their destiny- I've told you this before, you were less vexing all those other millenniums."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I was never any other girl. I have only one life, this one." She told him in a dangerous tone. "If you don't mind I'd like to go to sleep without all you males eyeing me."

"We'll go from the gazebo, but we will be stationed around it. I want you to listen closely Sakura, both ears." she glared and he stared unflinching this time. "Don't mistake me, I'm only protecting you because I was told to, you will never be Gabriel."

"What was she to you?"

"That is not your concern, really." he moved, but she dared a touch and her eyes widen, her fingers tightening around his wrist.

Images of a girl that looked like her with only longer hair and large wings protruding from her back with white threads of gold-dusted hair instead of feathers flashed in her mind. The girl was running in a lush green field, chasing a silverspot with gossamer wings.

The winged girl giggled and caught the insect between her hands and opened them to peek at the butterfly, but too wide and it fluttered from her hands, going higher. She watched in awe as it transcended and then disappeared behind the clouds.

Two arms enfolded the unsuspecting girl and she cried out with more giggles as he lifted her off her feet and spun them around.

It was Sasuke or rather Michael, who held her close, burying his face in the curve of her shoulder and neck, smirking against her skin as she joyously called out his name.

Michael, she called him, laughing for him. Her fingers touched his hands; she seemed to revel in his touch. They looked alike, Sasuke and Michael, Gabriel and Sakura.

Maybe he was telling the truth, but not about her, she was never an angel by the name of Gabriel, she was Sakura, only Sakura. It was coincidence that she looked like some girl with wings.

Sasuke wrenched her hand off his wrist, forcing Sakura to release him. "While you're having fun at the expense of my memories, I must now ask if you believe."

"No."

"Liar and a terrible one at it." he jerked away from her and left her with her thoughts, whatever they may be.

Sasuke shoved his hands deep into his pockets as he headed down the steps, the smell of oil mingled in the air with the soot and smoke, it stung his eyes and offended his nose.

Naruto ran over to him from the side of the gazebo where he had been eavesdropping. Sasuke gave him a look, before telling the others that they needed to set a perimeter around Sakura and the garden, they agreed and set out to do as told.

"What are we suppose to do, Sasuke? I mean she doesn't believe a word we're saying." Naruto fretted, tugging hard on Sasuke's shirtsleeve like a child striving for attention.

Sasuke gave Naruto an indifferent shrug and headed out with the others in tow. He glanced back to see Sakura make pillow out of Naruto's orange jacket.

She lay down, with her knees drawn to her chest, looking upset, biting her thumbnail. He turned away from her, followed closely by Naruto. "It doesn't matter, she's who she is whether she believes it or not, so it's our job to watch over her."

Sasuke and Naruto split ways and Sasuke headed towards the entrance, he slid his fingers through the openings of the diamond pattern of the wires and hoisted himself up top. He perched himself atop the thin metal bar, the gate swinging forward as he shifted to the side.

He looked up at the sky and dipped his hand under the front of his shirt, pulling up a silver and gold framed crucifix; he rubbed the smooth interior and sighed.

Everything here in this world was hard, bright, and violent. He witnessed stealing and killing and every sin possible. Everything he felt, everything he touched… this world was worse than hell or better yet just another part of it.

Sasuke clenched the cross in his hand and glanced over his shoulder back toward the gazebo. He could see the shadow of the candle flames flickering behind the vines. It was not her. Well, it was, but not really.

Gabriel, herself was locked inside Sakura's soul; Gabriel had lost her own during the Great War. He ran an indigent hand through his careless hair before dropping it back over his leg.

This was her closest form, the hair, the eyes, even the height and the way she sighed was the same… everything, even the temperament.

She had never been this close in essence, when he first saw her, first felt the silent evoking wave, he wanted nothing more then to run to her, smooth back her hair, kiss her and whisper against her skin how much he missed her.

Oh, how he missed her. He missed her to the brink of insanity, but Sakura was not Gabriel. Therefore, the urge to run to the girl and hold her close even if she protested felt restrained.

Sasuke closed his eyes, running his thumb back and forth over the cross as he whispered a silent prayer in Latin… a soft whisper as he remembered his last moment with Gabriel.

…

"Michael, Michael!" She called; her hair held back by a silver diadem, she wore a formfitting black sleeveless turtleneck under and ivory breastplate and black pants, she wore a pair of long black gloves under ivory armguards. There was a visible mark across her like a necklet in glowing blue-green paint, her sigil.

"Gabriel, what are you doing out here?" He demanded, running to meet her half way. He wore a similar outfit made for his height and build; crimson from those he had slain decorated his attire. There was a war going on and in his honest opinion, she had no right to be out there, she was too young.

"I want to fight, too!" He clasped her shoulders and looked in her eyes, he smiled at her, his finger tracing over her glistening lips.

"I know my Sakura," He kissed her, soft and sweet, lingering on her lips as though it would be their last, no matter how confident he felt in this battle for the heavens. "I think, however, it best you stay out of this. I want you safe."

"But I can help!" she protested, curling her fingers around his strong shoulders.

"Aa."

"Then let me help," she begged, her eyes reflecting the aid she wanted to offer. He kissed her again, lifting her off her feet and crushing her to him like a husband would a wife.

"I have to go, stay here Gabriel, I'll be very cross if something happens to you." He then took off into the air with her calling his name.

…

He rubbed his face with both hands and looked back up at the canvas of twinkling stars, he watched as a star winked across the midnight black sky.

He remembered how she would get all excited over a shooting star, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt and tugging like a child and insisting that they had to make a wish, but if he inquired what she wished for she would refuse, swearing that if she told, it would not come true.

She died on that battlefield, her very soul torn away her body. They had captured that soft dawn colored orb of light, but could not reattach it, her body… destroyed. He was in Shikamar- or rather Sariel's debt.

Sariel had sealed Gabriel's soul into a little girl, a child who was on the verge of death after a near fatal encounter with her drunkard father, the house doctor sat with the child, trying and not trying to save the girl's life, but the old woman who was with them insisted he not give up.

Sariel knelt in front of the little girl with blood in her mouth and swollen eyes and cheeks. She reached her hand up to Sariel, he caught it, smiling at her, and she smiled back, the only one who could see either angel. He drew a sigil on her forehead and then brought his hand flat against the girl's chest.

Sariel invoked the incantation to transfer the souls and then as the girl slipped into the cold hands of death, there was a bright jade and cerise glow enfolding her and she gasped for breath, the haze clearing from her eyes and Michael wept.

The transfer was a success, he could feel Gabriel in the girl, turning eyes from Sariel to him, the brown eyes merged with forest green and there she was, warm and alive, smiling at him, loving him and then she was gone the green waning as Sariel sealed her spirit, her soul, away into the body of the little girl.

Stay with her, protect her, those had been his orders, because _that_ one would one day break free from his prison that Sasuke had sealed him within all those millennium ago, he would be free to reign chaos among this forsaken world that the Master still loved and watched over, granting little wishes here and there.

That _bastard_ tried to use her against utopia… against the world and for what, reign over the domains. How selfish and greedy. They had lived a good life. He sat on the flat of the pillars near the gate and looked over the garden.

So dismal, so disgusting, man had corrupted Eden, treated it like some sort of… piece of garbage, they never did know when they had a good thing, obviously.

He picked up of piece of gravel and tossed it onto the ground, it skidded into an oil puddle. He shifted back onto his feet when he heard the roll of thunder.

A drop of water pelted his forehead and he turned his gaze up to the sky, it took no time at all before a thick sheet of rain blurred his vision.

Sasuke jumped down from his post and hurried over to the gazebo when the flames of the candles flickered out. He broke away the remainder of the dried vines blocking the entrance and stepped inside, water dripped through the mass of vines covering the top and through the rotted and cracked rooftop.

Sasuke needed no light to see his way; he stepped over to where he left Sakura. "What the-!" he turned and yanked up Naruto's jacket.

He ran out of the gazebo, soaked through his clothes, rain spilling down his face and rolling off his hair and down his back.

"Naruto, Neji!" he snapped over the roll of thunder and he met with everyone else, except for Choji, but he could care less where that Sin had gotten off too.

"What's the matter?" Shino asked, using his hand to cover his brow to protect his dark circular glasses.

"She's gone! Gab-Sakura's gone!" Sasuke growled, shoving the orange jacket into Naruto's hands.

"What-? How did she-? Naruto demanded, panicking more than the others were, tugging on the ends of his wet yellow hair.

"Through there it would seem." Kiba pointed towards the foot of the fence, where the wires were twisted and pried apart, big enough for a skinny girl like Sakura to crawl out from underneath.

When she had pulled off the disappearing act, Sasuke did not know. It mattered not; they had to find her. "Let's split up into teams, with that-"

"No, not this time," Sasuke snapped, "this time we're all going to look for her, just in case." there was a determined look on him.

"You better learn to control your temper, Sasuke, this isn't a game, this isn't a war, it's a mission. We have to find Sakura and protect her."

"Who cares, we'll do that and then some, if he's out there…"

"Both of you shut up, let's just get out there and find little Miss Princess before it's too late." Kiba intervened. "Let's do this as a team."

"You know what they say about teamwork…" Naruto interjected.

"No." Sasuke and Neji barked together.

"They say…" Sasuke delivered a smack to the back of Naruto's head and he flinched, grabbing the offended area as the others climbed and leapt over the fence. "Hey, wait up!"

…

She should have taken the jacket, but it had not started raining until she was far from ruins. She was tired and hungry and her calve muscles were throbbing painfully from all the walking she had done. She was almost back home.

Home, oh, it sounded so nice. She would take a warm bath, pull on some clean clothes, snuggle into her pillow, and pull the sheets high over her head, because this was all just some nightmare that she would wake up from tomorrow.

She moved her wet hair off her brow and walked down the near-empty streets, a car sped by her, dousing her ankles with rainwater, she groaned, but it was not as if she was not all ready wet, besides she was barefoot.

"Sakura, Sakura is that you?" She looked up to see Ino standing a couple of feet away, holding up a purple umbrella.

Sakura ran over to her, ignoring the pain of feet as gravel or other unidentified objects pressed into the soles of her feet. "Ino, I'm so glad to see you." Ino lifted a brow. The girl smiled and then examined Sakura up and down with just her eyes.

"You look like you've been through hell, your shirt's been torn up, and you're going to get sick, let's go back to the complex." Sakura nodded and Ino pulled her under the umbrella.

They headed back for the complex; Ino led her up the stairs and into her apartment. Sakura looked around, thinking how pretty the apartment was, as though a Lady or Princess lived there, everything was elegant and expensive looking.

After getting her dry and into fresh clothes and making a warm cup of tea, Sakura told Ino her story, or what felt more like some horrific nightmare. Sakura giggled, taking hold of the cup to warm her hands. "Unbelievable, huh, I mean these guys just wouldn't give up."

"Sakura, you can't stay here, these guys sound like they belong in a medical institution." Sakura nodded in agreement.

"But where can I go, I mean I just moved here and I have a job at the hospital, you know." As crazy as everything had been, she just wanted a normal life and her job and her place, everything familiar.

Did everything have to blow out of proportion?

"How about you just hide out for a while, I know a place." Ino said heading towards a closet and pulling out two jackets.

Sakura took the white one and slipped into it. "I don't think you should be heading into work, besides I'm sure you lost the job."

Sakura's heart sunk at those words, but Ino was probably right, who would want a Chief Resident who did not even show up on her first day.

Other things to worry about, but the only thing she wanted to worry about was her job and grandmother. "Come on." Ino pulled Sakura up out of the chair and out the door. They headed to the complex parking lot and towards a very nice looking BMW.

She hated this weather, it was nearing August and it was colder than a Christmas morning. Sakura pulled open the passenger side of the door and sat door, pulling on the seatbelt as Ino got into the drivers side, starting up the engine.

Pulling out of the parking space and rolling down the lot, Sakura leaned her head back against the headrest, closing her eyes. The tea had warmed her and sustained her hunger pains for a while, but she had wished she asked for some food too.

It did not take too long before Ino stopped the car at an abandon building. Ino leaned over and shook Sakura awake. Sakura noted that this one looked like it had been out of service for a little under a month. Ino assured her the generator light still worked and so Sakura went in. "Aren't you coming?"

"Yeah, let me just get some things out of the car." Sakura nodded and went inside, the door was unlocked for some reason or another, maybe Ino had been sneaking in from time to time. Sakura fumbled around for some lights and she found them.

An orange glow filled the halls and she continued down the empty halls. She had a bad feeling churning her stomach and making her hair stand on end under the jacket. A glass door led to an indoor pool. Perhaps this building had been a hotel previously.

"Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts…" she chanted like a canticle, a shiver ran down her spine as she wrapped her hand around the handle of the door. She pulled it open and stepped inside. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of chlorine and damp air.

'Always trust your intuition'. Her grandmother had told her when she was applying for a college, she wished she had remembered that when the door to the pool area closed. She stepped forward and leaned over the pool, looking down to find it empty of water.

"I'm so glad you decided to come." that voice, she heard it only yesterday. She turned around, closed her eyes, and then opened them again.

She felt sick, that voice was like poison that seeped into her bloodstream and left a nasty taste in her mouth. Dream, this was supposed to be a dream, it was supposed to be an illusion of her mind, nothing was real, and it could not be… she refused!

The early pangs of hunger cut into her stomach like a dagger, she wobbled a little as he came close, his long black hair tied back and flowing behind him like a trail of incense smoke. "Who are you?" she managed to ask, tilting a bit.

His hand reached out for her, long thin fingers with black fingernails. Those fingers curled around her wrists and he dragged her back until he pressed her against a wall.

She stared up at him, faint and dizzy like she had been in their first encounter. "I am he who would give you all you desire." he said in a voice like satin.

All she desired? How tempting, he did not ask for anything or at least he did not ask with his mouth. She could feel him inside her head, like the buzzing of flies. Something that sounded like power, her power-

_Oh, Ino,_ she mentally asked,_ why did you bring me here?_

Her senses were waning, she thought for sure she would pass out soon, his breath was warm and she could smell the scent of wine and spices. She felt sleepy and hungry and weak, she could hardly keep her eyes open.

_What a beautiful man,_ she thought before her eyes closed completely, her brain shutting down when she felt softly chapped lips graze over hers. Her first kiss and she was not even awake to react.

…

Sasuke ran ahead, Kiba, Neji, Shino, Shikamaru and Naruto not too far behind. He could sense her aura, growing fainter like the flickering of candlelight. He could feel a dark aura as well, burning brighter then a wildfire.

"Sasuke,"

He turned to see that the others had stopped, he gave them an unpleased look and Neji lifted his hand and pushed it out. "What are you doing?" Sasuke demanded, in no mood for stalling or games.

"We can't go with you, we've been sealed out." Sasuke growled under his breath, so much for Naruto's teamwork. "Hurry up, go get her!" Neji snapped, with another growl of frustration Sasuke whipped around and sprinted down the street.

"Sasuke-teme, be careful!" he could hear Naruto call after him. The dobe always worried a little too much about his well-being, it was almost as if he forgot that Sasuke was the Elemental Archangel of Fire.

He was granted strength every millennium to lock that devil away, but there was always a cost, Sasuke just had to keep Sakura alive for a full year in which time _that_ man was permitted to walk free.

He reached the building as was about to grab the handle when she stepped out in front, a black visible aura surrounding her like a boa constrictor. "Michael-kun, it's been too long."

"Not long enough," he seethed as she leaned against the double doors. She pouted and closed her eyes with a hefty sigh.

"That's not very nice, I still haven't gotten over how beautiful you are or the scar you so generously gave me," she then slid her hand under her shirt, dragging it down slowly until he could see her fingers again.

"I don't have time to deal with you, Lust." he sneered as she licked her bottom lip as if tasting sweets.

"The name's Ino now, Sasuke-kun." he chuckled and charged her, she whisked away and materialized behind him, but he focused on his goal and headed inside, sealing the doors shut with a chant. "Sasuke-kun!" she screamed pounding the door, even if she did break it down the seal would hold.

He ignored the screaming of the Sin and wondered where Sakura could be, he had to concentrate on her aura, which was the only way he could pinpoint her location at such a close, yet distant range. The fact that it was waning did not help either.

Sasuke stopped at the doors and could hear soft talking. He peered into the glass doors, there were storm clouds inside, thick as black smoke from a fire, but he could see Sakura and he could see him, the one, pressing her against the wall with one hand.

Sasuke was enraged to see that Sakura was not fighting back, the other girls, her past lives had all fought back, of course, they died and he had died too, trying to protect her as he threw that devil down into the pits of the abyss.

_Fight,_ His mind screamed at her_, Fight!_

…

"All I have to do," the voice said, "is tap into your power." Her eyes flew open and she screamed. There was pain this time as he plunged his hand slowly into her chest, breaking skin and muscle and prying apart ribs.

This was impossible, she thought, no one could stick there hands into someone at this velocity, she could feel the forming of a bruise under skin as it parted, making way for his hand to get at whatever he was trying to reach, her heart, perhaps?

His hand felt hot though, hotter then any other part of him, as though doused in fire, like a hot poker, she was sweating bullets and she felt oh, so, sick.

She coughed up blood; the crimson, almost black specks slashing across his cheek and nose, his eyes were hard. Her face contorted into pain and she dug her fingers into her palms, slamming her head back against the tile hard wall as he lifted her off her feet, a bright green and pink light illumining his face.

The pain was unbearable, how she managed to stay awake was beyond her, she would be dead within the hour, blood soaked through the material of the jacket as slid down her torso, she could feel its heat and she screamed out again, heard him tell her to scream again.

She should be dead now, the second she heard the sickening tear of flesh and muscle she should have been dead, dead the second she heard her ribs crack.

"Enough!" he dodged back as a dagger came flying at him. Sakura fell to the ground, lying in a spill of her own blood; it coated one side of her face as she closed her eyes, the pounding of her own heart in her ear. Her breathing was shallow and uneven.

Oh, he was even more beautiful then the man that came to kill her, more beautiful because a beautiful light bathed him in colors she had never seen and he was her knight in golden light. His black hair matted down over his face from rain. Beautiful, he was oh, so beautiful…

"So good of you to come, always have to save the day, right?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes and threw another dagger, but he turned to smoke the way Ino had and Sasuke hurried over to Sakura, who looked at him with dull green eyes. He touched her cheek and she smiled gratefully as he smiled back and stood.

"You can't stop me; 'master' is sleeping, isn't he? Sealed his self away to conserve his power, is that not right? Wrong, he is growing weaker in that chamber and I am growing stronger; just give up this time, Sasuke. Just give me Sakura so that I may have Gabriel."

"Not this time, not ever!" Then there was a blast, followed by an array of bright colors and Sasuke knew that it was the others, he knelt back near Sakura and swooped her into his arms, her blood straining his clothes, the stench of blood awakening his senses. "You're finished, Itachi, even if we both die!"

* * *

**Pakkun tells me if you review he will let you touch the pads on his feet. He claims they are really soft and bouncy and it's true! So go review, hurry the offer stands at a limited time.**


	4. IV: Hatred

**I've decided to leave out the Index of Characters in this chapter, because I feel as though I've ruined the surprise in the last chapter, from now on the Index will appear after I've shocked you all.**

**A/N: I've gotten some feedback addressing Sasuke's attitude towards Sakura and I just want to say that I don't think he's being unnecessarily cruel and she's being just as spiteful if he is. In fact I think Sasuke is just being Sasuke, besides his relationship with Gabriel was private, how would you like someone going through your personal feelings?**

**I would just like to say this chapter was both complex and easy, I'm not good with battle scenes so you have to clue me in on how I did.**

**Special Thanks: InterwovenEmotions, DarknessFlameWolf, starseer, aira-hitomi-27 'anime', baby's breath, Princess Serenity7777, Michiru, Tamiko-Chan81, XLove-The-KitsuneX, UchihaSakura87**

**Acknowledgments: cweam and cheese: There will never be anyone hotter than Sasuke, they all line-up after Sasuke, of course I'm too busy being angry at Itachi for what he did to Sasuke to even consider him hot.**

**AlexiaWinters: Wow, I've never had someone bow before my feet… I can feel the power, I hope I don't get drunk on it, I have a plan for Hinata, don't fret.**

**Laura-chan: I was hoping in chapter one the eyes would be the give away. You're right Ino is the perfect Lust, she's lovely and her obsession for Sasuke is just as great as Sakura's.**

**sasusakufaves: See Pakkun and I told you they were soft!**

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* * *

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_"Lucifel is not a name that suits me. _

From now on, I'll be known as Lucifer, the angel that rebelled against God

and took his throne."

- Lucifer

A low rumble vibrated through the skies, lights flashed on either side of him, the sky was blood red and their dying screams and clashing metal filled the air.

He saw Raphael engaged with one of the turncoat angels, the fine tresses of white-gold hair shredding off with each stretch of the wings.

He saw it all around him, those that switched sides were losing the hairs of their wings rapidly, underneath was a stretch of bronze almost black leather and protruding at the joints were sharpen bones, it was as if their divinity was fading.

"This looks bad," Raphael said, pressing his back to Michael's flank, his armor painted with blood, his sigil glowing bright blue-green across one side of his cheek to the other.

"Raphael, you know that little motto the Master keeps saying?" he asked, eyeing the renegade angel headed his way, weapon drawn.

"Ah, come on, Michael, he has a ton of quotes he's stuffed in our heads!"

Scoffing, he shoved the blond from his side and lifted into the air, "Have faith!" he shouted down to him, bringing the tip of his index finger to the pad of his thumb, forming a circle, puffing his cheeks and blasting a ring of fire that engulfed the attacker.

"Watch out!" Raphael screamed out to him, fending off his own attacker, but Michael was less then lucky and his faith less then great.

He was grabbed by a shock of lightening and thrown to ground the far below him, he heard Gabriel scream out his name. He rolled onto his back, grabbing at the light tightening around his neck. He opened his eyes, glowing red with two tomoe in each red eye.

A searing pain shot up his nerves and he forced his eyes to stay open, his eyes meeting eyes of the same color but with an extra tomoe in each eye, making a total of six. "Lucifel!" he growled like a lion provoked and angry. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why?" he chuckled at the question within each of his hand, he held two swords, alight with the Flame of Amaterasu.

He frowned when his brother glared up at him, still awaiting his answer, well he would not deprive his baby brother of the knowledge he so desperately sought. "To test my limits, to test your limits and to show that there is no one above me, even the Master cannot be my equal."

"You Bastard!" he broke the light around his neck and the sigil on his right shoulder flared up in golden-red.

"Not enough… hatred." his elder brother whispered in his ear when he caught him at the throat, one of his wings completely void of golden-white hairs, now black and tipped with black bones that bled in thin cracks. It was as though his blood was ablaze with fire.

Each black tomoe of his eyes spun wildly as he pushed his baby brother back, Michael's black hair falling over his eyes as Lucifel caught him in an illusion so horrific that it did not display on his face.

Instead, he looked as though he had been drugged, groggy with sleep; the red faded back to black, however, his black eyes had lost their intensity.

"So this is the end of Michael, Champion of our Lord Hokage; Light Warrior of the Master of Tsubasa no Tenshi." He crossed the swords together and prepared to behead the Elemental Angel of Fire. "Good-bye, Otouto, good-bye."

The killing blow never came. Michael lifted his eyes to see Gabriel fall backwards into his arms, blood flowing from her, blood mimicking a long stream of red ribbons.

He fell to his knees, her body slumped against his knees and torso, and he looked down at her, tears filling his eyes as she blinked back her own, her voice broken as she asked, "You've taken no hurts?"

"None," he whispered and it was the truth, the blood on his body belonged to his opponents he had an artificial scratch here or there, but nothing dire.

He could not hold his tears in as he watched her slip away, the light fading from her usual bright green eyes.

Lucifel could only stare as she disintegrated like paper in the fire from the tip of her toes up. Her hand reached up and cupped his little brother's face, smiling as blood made its way down her chin from the corners of her mouth.

A light emitted from her torso, beautiful in a bright hue of green and pink as if to imitate her eyes and hair. "Good," she whispered and, oh, how it pleased him, that one single word.

It shone like a dream, warm and beautiful, filling him with love even as she slipped through his fingers, the last remnant of her hand as the light lifted into the air like the butterflies she loved to chase, trapped within a colorful orb.

"So… much…" he heard Lucifel breathe, watching the orb float up like a bubble to the surface top, "power." It was as if he would reach out for her light and drink the power like wine from a cup.

Lucifel did just that, the last hairs molting from his right wing as he flexed his wing to reach out to grab the light, but someone knocked away his hand with a dagger, embedding it into his palm and through to the back of his hand.

Michael watched as Sariel caught Gabriel's soul, sealed her in the palm of his hand as Michael found the strength to battle his brother, who was pulling out the dagger.

Hate…

Hate…

HATE! It was such a raw emotion, unchained and feral, he had no control over it, wanted no control over it.

His older brother hardly had a chance to defend himself as he plummet him towards the lush ground, grabbed his ankle, heaved him with all his strength and flung him up into the sky. He chased his older brother into the sky, preparing to punch him in the chin.

Unable to move his left fist, the older brother received his right hook in the mouth, blood splayed from the cut on his lip, coating his older brother's teeth.

He growled and squeezed hard on the immobile fist and snapped the wrist. His younger brother hollered in agony, but it hindered him not.

He kicked his older brother with both feet, his wings snapping out as he spun in the air, delivering another punch, his sword forgotten on the ground still fresh with Gabriel's blood. Blinded with unadulterated rage, his red eyes circled with solid black of the thin spinning of the four tomoes.

No one had seen the Fire Angel so unruly, so uncultivated, and so angry that a purplish-black aura fanned across his body. He snarled like a panther, delivering punches and kicks to the man that he once called brother, to the ultimate traitor.

He would go down swinging! Without looking over his shoulder or pausing in his roundhouse, he caught the chain Uriel had toss up to him and slung the chain around Lucifel, binding his wings and arms, his hand pressing into the traitor's bleeding throat where the heel of his boot cut his older brother's neck.

Ragual flew up to deliver the key, which had no physical form; a bright radiate light that curled the entire arm from fingers to shoulder in golden words of a language so old that not one of them could read them.

Ragual held the ankles of the newly born demon until the abyss opened up, they had descended into the world where the mortals dwelled and Ragual released the older brother and flew back to the heavens at an unnatural sped.

"I'll be back; you know I'll be back."

"Not for a thousand years, and I'll lock you away every time, you twisted bastard!" The younger brother hissed at the elder brother and then with a hard shove he let him drop into the abyss as he pulled away. The elder brother was deep within the abyss; Michael hovered over the abyss and connected his broken hand with the swirling black.

The light spilled over the abyss, the words stretched over it like a net, it fused with the earth, and the sky calmed as the sun peeked behind the clouds a soft breeze caressing the angel as he landed on the ground where the words faded, leaving the earth seemingly undisturbed.

With no more hatred clouding his head and his judgment he cast off back into the sky, transcended space and was back in the broken utopia, the battle had been won, but what of the war and _his_ Sakura? There was no body to mourn. "Michael!"

Sariel landed in front of him, one wing stretched out towards the ground, the wind broken at the joint. "We have to find someone dying, someone to hold Gabriel's soul." He lifted his hand, marked with his Sakura's soul sealed within another.

He clasped the hand between his and brought his forehead to the knuckles, tears sliding down his cheeks and meeting with the bloodied field below his feet. "You don't have time to mourn for her, we have to find a body for her, I can't host two sets of chakra… hers is stronger than mine, hers will hollow mine out, that's not an option for me."

He nodded in agreement and released the hand. "Our best option is to find a dying mortal and seal Gabriel within, only a human can hold a soul." Sariel was right of course.

"What about the Master?" he inquired while they left utopia behind in search of someone dying.

"He's sleeping, he was so worn out I barely recognized him." Michael let out a sigh of relief; he did not know he would soon breathe another.

…

Sasuke cradled Sakura in his arms, looking down at her face, Kiba and Neji stood in front of them so that no one would see Sakura in her current state, with blood dried on one side of her face and a gaping hole in the center of her chest.

Naruto came back swinging the keycards metal loops around one finger. Sasuke rose and they all headed towards the elevator, their rooms on the fifth floor. Everything was going too slow for Sasuke's liking. Sakura had not drawn a single breath since they escaped Itachi back at the abandon hotel.

Naruto opened the first door and Sasuke stepped in followed by Shikamaru who quickly closed the door behind him. Sasuke lay Sakura down on the bed adorn in blue and white blankets. He pried off her jacket and then tore the shirt in two where the material had ripped.

Under the slightly wet blood, he could see the bruise, deep black framed by slight green. Shikamaru sat on the bed and pressed his fingers to Sakura's lesion.

Sasuke was pacing, stalking like a wolf eyeing its prey. He watched as Shikamaru merge together bone and muscles and finally flesh. Sasuke's breath hitched in his throat and held in his chest as he waited, all they could do was wait.

Her chest expanded with a breath and Sasuke released the one he was holding, eyes falling shut in relief. "We're lucky, Sasuke, she could have-" Sasuke raised a dismissive hand and came to sit on the bed with the damp cloth from the adjoined bathroom.

"Don't say it; she's alive, that's what matters." Shikamaru nodded in agreement and rose to his feet, his fingertips bloodied. He disappeared into the bathroom and Sasuke was content to watch her breathe, gingerly wiping the blood off her skin.

To think that in the condition she was in, she was still beautiful.

The urge to kiss her was great and vexing and it churned a hot coil in his lower abdomen. He pressed a hand to one eye and then went back to cleaning her chest and stomach. "I've got to tell you, Sasuke, Sakura's going to be unconscious for awhile, I don't know if we can protect her in this state."

"We'll just have to take Sakura to her then…" Sasuke said taking the robe that came with the room.

"Right… her," Sasuke swore he heard Shikamaru whisper his infamous word 'troublesome'. Sighing Sasuke cleared away all the blood and then ever so carefully, he dressed her in the robe. Her head dropped to the sighed, her lips parted and he could not stop himself, he dragged her up and buried his face in her shoulder.

She was alive, if it had not been for the others they might have both died. She smelled of blood and sweat and he lowered her back on the bed carefully, rubbing his thumb along her cheek, under her upper lashes. Itachi had hurt her; he drew his hand away, balling it into a fist, shaking with rage. He stood over her, looking down at her. He headed towards the window, pushed it open and stepped out onto the ledge.

Naruto stood up and faced Sasuke. "I'm going out, make sure no one comes in this way, Kiba's standing at the door." Naruto nodded and watched as Sasuke dropped off the ledge and landed on the ground below, knees bent and hands touching the pavement.

Naruto took a quick peek inside the room and caught sight of the still body of Sakura, her chest rising and falling with each intake and outtake of air. He smiled and looked back down to see the lights elongate Sasuke's shadow. Eventually Sasuke would admit the truth, if only to Sasuke.

Sasuke buried his hands in his pockets as he walked the lone streets, couples here and there. He pushed open a door to one of the clothing stores and stepped in, he needed clean clothes, his stained with Sakura's blood and some for her, her clothes also soiled with her blood.

He picked out a plain white tee shirt and denim jeans; he assumed she was a small and size three. He picked out some white and pink trim flip-flops, after three days of bizarre weather; the heat was starting to return.

He picked out a black shirt and pants, the heat never really bothering him at all. He paid for them, hiding the blood on his clothes rather well. Heading back to the hotel room, he stepped in through the entrance. He walked down towards the elevator and then stopped.

There was a man wearing a gray jacket under a vivid green shirt and slightly baggy jeans. His face attracted the most attention, his eyebrows were thick and his hair cut in the shape of a bowl. "Zeal,"

"Michael or maybe you would prefer Uchiha Sasuke as I would prefer Rock Lee?"

"Whatever."

"I want to see her," he told Sasuke bluntly, straight to the point, this one never delayed in matters he felt were particularly important. Sasuke looked at him for a brief second.

"No." He said and walked down to the elevators pushing the up button.

"You must, I have waited for the time when she would awaken and that day came three days ago, of course if you six would stop moving around then-"

"Who told you she woke up? Was it that bastard Choji?"

"It was, please allow me to see the fair Haruno Sakura." He pleaded again, a look of determination all over his face.

"Maybe later, after we take her to see Charity," The elevator doors finally slid open and Sasuke stepped inside, Lee on his heels, the doors slid shut.

"Why would you take her to see Tenten?" Was that her name now? Sasuke sighed, wishing this so-called Virtue would leave him alone, everyone was annoying him lately, especially a certain pink-haired, denial-ridden, stubborn-ass girl. "Is Sakura-chan ill? Did she get hurt, Uchiha-san?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, wishing the elevator would reach his floor faster.

Two lit up.

"If she is hurt Uchiha-san I will give you no quarter, poor little flower, what I wouldn't do to ease her suffering."

Three lit up.

"Uchiha-san, please understand that I care not for your history with Gabriel, I love her and love always conquers all!"

Four lit up.

"So tell me, tell me now if my lovely Sakura-chan is injured!"

Finally, the fifth button lit up and the doors slid open, next time he was going up the way he left, even if he had to scale the walls. He walked down the hall holding the bag close to his chest as if protecting it. Kiba and Sasuke made eye contact.

"Restrain this one please." Sasuke sighed, taking out his keycard. Kiba smirked and brought his hand to the sigil on his left hand. Lee stepped back, but stood on his toes, trying to get a peek inside the room.

Sasuke kicked the door shut and set the bag down, pulled out his new clothes and headed into the bathroom. He shut the door, set the clothes on the sink rim, and stripped off his clothes.

Sasuke reached into the shower and turned the facet forcefully. Hot water shot out of the showerhead. A scalding hot shower was all she needed to recover from the near-fatal encounter. Sasuke stepped inside, arching and turning around as the heat made his aches scream.

Taking some soap, Sasuke lathered his body. Blood, not all of it his, rolled off with the water and circled the drain. All he succeeded in doing was making his skin scream and his bruises throb with pain.

Sighing as the suds rinsed off his body with the blood, his cuts stung as he drew a hand over his back, his fingers tracing the branded mark on his right shoulder blade. He had one, Kiba had one, Neji, Shikamaru, Shino and even that dobe Naruto had one. "Mammon," he breathed, tracing the Roman numeral 3 imprinted into his flesh.

He shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist as he bent over the sink, his mark burning intensely, briefly, as was the pain, he wondered if Mammon, too, was awake.

Everyone seemed drawn to Sakura's inner power… when had he started thinking of Sakura and Gabriel as one person? He quickly dressed. Stepping out into the room, he supposed now was the time when he wished there was another female in their group. He looked at Sakura and the bag on the floor, an inner battle waging in his mind.

Taking the bag in his hand he let out a nervous sigh, he walked over to the bed and sat down, he lifted her up and propped her gently against the wall and pillows. He drew off the robe, trying his best to avoid staring at her freely displayed skin below her collarbone.

He set the robe aside, holding back a grunt as he pulled out the tee shirt and brought it over her head, drawing her arms one at a time, very gently, though the arm sleeves, his forearm brushing her breast every now and then.

Her skin was so incredibly soft, he had trouble breathing, but once the tee was on… he inwardly cursed as he noted her bloody pants. Maybe he should have bought her a skirt instead. He swallowed hard around the lump lodge in his throat. "Impure is more like it!" he choked as he drew the pants down her hips and thighs.

He swore he was having a mental breakdown. He squeezed his eyes shut and removed her underwear and drew on the fresh pair he had bought her. He kept his hands at her sides at all times. He lifted her hips a little, opened his eyes to catch a thatch of pink curls, and gulped, pulling the underwear a little higher.

He could breath easier when it came to putting her in jeans, once he tucked the metal button in through the slit he fell back on the bed, covering his eyes with the inside of his elbow.

"Shit," he cursed his breathing uneven. He was thoroughly embarrassed, but if she ever knew, she would probably slap him and then kill him.

After calming his nerves he sat up, drew back the blankets down and settled her under them, he staggered and almost fell atop her. He looked down at her peaceful face; it was as if she were dreaming, sweet dreams. He brushed aside some strands of her pink hair and inhaled, deeply, that urge to kiss her even more devastatingly demanding.

"Sakura," he breathed softly, dropping onto his elbow, staring at her flawless face.

Not, Gabriel? It had always been about Gabriel for him, but now for the first time, seeing the near mirror image of the one he had loved for more than one lifetime, he was seeing her soul's host. He traced a faint circle at her temple.

He pushed her slowly further to the other side of the bed and crawled in with her, lying atop the blanket. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek against hers.

_Mine,_ he thought unbidden, closing his eyes listening to the steady rhythm of her heart and intake of air through he parted lips.

He stretched his fingers over her flat tummy, thinking of a child, one he wanted to give her, someday, in a life where they need not run, one where he could be a normal human and she could be the normal girl he loved.

He frowned and pulled her closer wondering what was wrong with him, he was mad at her earlier because she had invaded his memories and those were _his_ memories, she had no right peeking inside his mind without his permission, but when Itachi had almost taken her from him, too soon, again, his anger melted and only worry was there.

She was his to protect, his charge. "I almost lost you again." He breathed against the curve of her neck. He did not know if she could hear him, but just knowing she was alive was good enough for him, he lifted her limp hand up in his, closing his fingers around hers.

He felt a little stupid for thinking about children, but going through a number of eras it was only natural to start thinking about it somewhere, Sasuke nestled closer to her and finally fell asleep, just as the sun rose over the horizon.

…

He sat on a chair with a tall back, everything in the room was black, and his black leather wings stretched across the chair as he leaned his head back, his dark eyes glancing up at the ceiling, bejeweled with rubies. "Where am I?"

"Here with us, are you all right?" he reached out his hand to the voice and looked to see a blond hair girl in a black dress that flowed along her body at an angle.

She touched his hand and he crushed her fingers in his grasp. "Temari, yes?" she nodded, dropping to her knees. He rose from the chair and drew forward; only to find his self bound with loops embedding in his wings.

He looked back at the jingling chains and looked down at Temari or rather Pride, bowing before him in agony and exhaustion. He was draining her gaining back the strength he lost when those fucking heroes decided to walk in on him and Sakura… just when they were getting so intimate.

He heard the cracking of bones and a whine and he looked down with apathy and released her hand. He broke the chains off at the base and swung around. Too fast, he stumbled and fell onto the chair. Temari looked up and offered her other hand; Itachi however, simply dismissed it.

"I've already drained you, anymore and you'll die." Not that he cared, he was only looking out for himself, she had power to offer him and he would use it. Such loyal little subordinates he had. He grinned and she looked at him in awe and admiration. "Mammon is awake isn't he?"

"He is."

His grin faded and he closed his eyes. "I suppose it's getting closer to that time, I want you, Wrath and Envy to prepare the seal." She nodded and forced herself to her feet. "Oh and tell Kankuro and Gaara not to do anything rash, if you three delay this more than the required six days forget being reborn."

He could sense her shock and fear… he fed off it. She was gone from the room, leaving Itachi to dwell on his earlier fight, to think that an array and a few incantations and daggers drained him so utterly.

If he could kill his baby brother, the joy he would feel. Out of all he wanted to see dead, Sasuke was at the top of his list. Every finishing Millennium that brat locked him into that abyss. He was sick of it, this time he would get Gabriel's power.

Itachi wield a power even the Master could not control. There was no need for anyone to worry they would not live to see what he decided to turn this dismal world into.

Maybe he would turn it into a rock, or a floating puddle of slag, or nothing at all. Complete oblivion! It seemed so hard to choose. He looked down at his hand, there were small specks of her dry blood on his knuckles… he had been so close… closer than he had ever been before to seizing her power. He wondered about her, had she felt the bond as he had?

…

The sun was peeking in through the window; Sasuke opened his eyes slowly, only to close them again. The scar on his shoulder blade stung again, it had wakened him three times. There was a gentle rapping on the door and Sasuke rolled over away from the sleeping body of Sakura.

He moved aside some silken tresses, debating with himself before going to answer the door. "Lee told us you wanted to get Sakura to Tenten."

"Huh- oh- yes… meet me downstairs." Shino nodded and just as Sasuke was about to close the door, Lee's hand grabbed the door, prying it open, Sasuke rolled away from the door and leaned against the wall as Lee sauntered his way in.

"Oh, she's a vision!" Lee exclaimed, kneeling at the bedside and clamping Sakura's tiny hand between his own larger paws. "Oh sweet cherry blossom, your beauty outshines that of the moon and the sun holds no comparison."

Sasuke groaned and slapped his hand to his face; Lee gave him a crossed look. Sasuke pushed off the wall and lowered his hand. "Listen you… stop sprouting nonsense, she's unconscious, can't hear a word you're saying. Now do you mind getting out of here?"

"Defiantly not, leave a delicate lady such as Sakura-chan in the hands of a brute like you, not this turn of the century, this time I will escort Sakura-chan. I shall be her hero!" What was closer so Sasuke could expel the contents of his stomach?

His jaw tightened and his hands clenched as he watched Lee lift Sakura up and onto his back, draping her arms over his shoulders and leaned forward so that she was secure against his back, he supported the back of her legs and slightly straightened.

"Okay, I'll lead you guys to Tenten." Sasuke was ready to wipe the floor with this over-the-top Virtue. Brute, indeed, he would show him how much of a brute he could be.

Sasuke slammed the door shut behind him and then a few minutes later pushed the door open, traversed the room, and opened the window, smacking the back of Naruto's head. The idiot woke with a strangled sound, followed by a snort and he turned sleep-filled eyes towards Sasuke. "Wake up, dobe, we're moving out!"

"A-already?" he wondered, lifting to his feet, nearly falling over.

"Come on; hurry up, before I push you off this ledge!" Naruto crawled in through the open window and Sasuke shut it tightly, heading back out the door. Naruto gave Sasuke a perplexed look and ran after him, closing the door behind him.

"H-hey, wait up!" He ran down to the elevator, but Sasuke let the doors close shut and Naruto lunged to stop the doors, but he missed and ended up slapping the metal doors. "Bastard, jeez, he's acting weird!" Naruto muttered to himself, scratching the back of his neck and ran for the stairwell.

He was halfway down the third set of steps when he was face to face with Choji, munching away on a bag of M&M's. "Fuck, I almost had a heart-attack; don't go sneaking up on people, Gluttony!"

"Fine, you don't wanna hear my top-secret information, I'll leave!" He turned and pressed his finger against the wall.

"Hold it you cream-puff!" he yanked the scruff of Choji's jacket and forced him around, "Spill!"

"Oh, you know, it's just that the Eminent One is performing a summoning seal." Naruto blinked, putting the tip of his finger to his chin in thought.

"Summoning? Who is he summoning?"

"Can't say, stupid, just that it'll take six sunsets before its completed." then he traced the wall, leaving a black insignia. The wall became like liquid and he stepped through, the wall then became solid again and Naruto tapped on it.

"I am not STUPID!" he huffed and hurried down the rest of the stairs so that he could tell Sasuke and the others of the news he just received.

However, not without first tripping over his feet and fumbling down the flight of stairs, successfully rolling into the door that led to the first floor. "First Sasuke-teme is acting all weird and now- now I've got a slight concussion. OW!"

He picked himself off the cold hard floor and opened the door. There were his companions all giving him annoyed looks. "It's not my fault, believe it! I just got some real useful information."

"Hurry up then, what is it?" Sasuke demanded, effectively making Naruto flinch.

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**Bribe you, why would I need to (slides assorted sweets across the table) bribe you to review, oh look, a purple go button, those are rare!**


	5. V: Nightmare

**I was hoping for more reviews... but what can I do, right? I was disappointed with the last chapter to and little with this one, I mean I guess I'm starting to lose my creative touch with it, it's just getting insipid and I got a feedback that said it was confusing... again, what can I do ::shrugs:: I might just leave it with this chapter... you know and wait until February to roll around so I can finally update Fade Away... that fourth chapter has been complete since December.**

**Warning: I didn't brand this a dark fic for nothing. There is sexual content in this chapter a little graphic but not too much so if you don't like this kind of theme you may have to read it through slightly parted fingers or turn away now... but you'll miss the sweet, strange SasuSaku moment...**

**Index of Characters:**

**Gaara: The sin: Wrath, younger brother to Envy and Pride, serving under Itachi. Still shrouded in mystery.**

**Kankuro: The sin: Envy, brother to Wrath and Pride, serving under Itachi. Not much else is known at this time.**

**Mammon: A demon who sealed away the wings of the Seven Great Angels. Not much else is known at this point.**

**Rock Lee: The virtue: Zeal. Deeply, devotedly in love with Gabriel's host.**

**Temari: The sin: Pride, older sister to Envy and Wrath, loyal to Lucifer and not much else is known.**

**Tenten: The virtue: Charity. She lives in a secluded cabin up in the mountains, Zeal often visits with her, the others take Sakura to see her.**

**A/N: You're going to hate me, I just know it... please don't stone me, I think the best way to kill me is to not review... less painful physically more so emotionally. There's my anxiety. I'm horrible embrassed with this chapter so I'm going to hide in my slightly dark corner with my back to this story and peek at my reviews with slightly parted fingers if you do intend to review... I wouldn't blame you if you didn't, I feel like this story tanked... Gosh, I'm such a downer.**

**Special Thanks: Laura-chan, Tamiko-Chan81, cweam and cheese, MelinaPan, runwithskizzers, Cherry Blossom Uchiha.**

**Acknowledgements: sleepykittycat: My God, you are the first person ever in my life to leave me such a lengthy review, I was practically all giddy, made me happy it was like, wow someone else who gets Sasuke, I mean he is screwed up beyond help, I mean he wants it the love everyone is offering him, but he's just to lost to see it. It made me happy to see the way you understood the situation between both Sakura and Sasuke. Thank you.**

**UchihaSakura87: No sweets, you poor deprived thing… I know how about a balloon instead? Your review is the second longest I got, I'm telling you I love it! It made me laugh to see that Lee has offended you. I know that being in a C2 does not necessarily mean more reviews, I have a story in a C2 and it only has one review and I thought I did a good job, but I guess not, I almost took it down, but it got one review so I left it up, that one review made my day. Being read doesn't necessarily entitle people to liking the story or reviewing. Its sad but true. But your review is highly appreciated. Thank you.**

**yukibozu: I would like to apologize for confusing you. But that's okay, I've been confused by stories I've liked, too.**

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A dark prison.

A beautiful voice.

A cursed home.

Blood stains the stones red,

and a broken heart is trapped in a clay urn.

- Laughter

Sakura woke in a dream or rather a nightmare.

She sat on a lake, not in a lake, not under a lake, but atop a lake that reflected her image. The air was stale with the scent of death and she could feel the choking heat.

She was naked under a mesh shirt that reached her thighs, her skin covered with pustules, oozing with blood.

A grasshopper was perched on her knee; she drew her leg up and the insect took flight into the sky more followed, drowning the light, eloping her in darkness.

She looked down between her legs and found that the clear water had turned to blood. It rippled towards her and she could hear her name on the wind.

Soft and deadly was the voice that called out to her, sending chills along her spine, she pressed both knees to her chest to hide her nude, decaying flesh.

Out from the shadows she could see him, his hair was loose, swaying gently with the invisible breeze. His skin was unblemished and unclothed. He showed none of the shame she felt, wings hovered above him, extending and folding back.

Itachi… she had heard Sasuke say his name just before she blacked out. He looked like Sasuke, only a little different, his eyes and the definition of his bones, he was unearthly and intimidating with those wings.

He stepped closer to her, all muscle and flesh and strong bones, sending blood lapping at her toes. His eyes were blood red with specks of black. He crouched in front of her, a finger caressing her cheek under the eye.

"I have a gift for you Sakura… you need only accept." his finger trailed over to her cracked and bleeding lips. "You are so beautiful."

He lowered onto his knees and pressed down on her kneecaps and parted her legs then took her wrists in his hands and moved them away from her breasts. His eyes left hers to gaze at her bare skin under gaping threads.

He stroked her hair then pressed his lips over hers, running his tongue along her bottom lip, not for entrance into her mouth, but to taste the copper tang of blood on her lips.

He trailed his wet lips from her mouth to her cheek and up to her ear where he traced the shell with his tongue. She shuddered, more afraid than she had ever been in her life, more afraid then when his hand had plummeted into her chest.

He drew away from her face and looked her over and she was scared, he lifted a hand and pressed his fingers to her temple. "Close your eyes, princess." but she could not do it, she seemed trapped in his bleeding red eyes.

He lifted his other hand and covered her eyes, forcing them shut. His hand fell away from her face as he pressed his fingers hard against her temple and she could feel pain, his fingers pressing deeper into her skull, blood coating his fingers.

His head lashed back and his mouth opened, his chest rising and falling rapidly with each quick, shallow breath. Her hand reached up and grasped his wrist, her teeth grinding together as she whimpered.

Sakura was drowning in horrific images. A barren earth, littered with skulls and skeleton of humans still with strips of skin that were once faces and skin.

Buildings stripped down to the steal frames or reduced to the crumbling of fragmented concreted and tipped over beams.

There was no grass and the sea emptied out, jagged rocks jutted out towards the sky, beckoning like a siren's song. Crimson lit the sky, the sun unable to penetrate through the thick clouds that polluted the sky. The roll of thunder and flash of lightening brought a sense of unease.

Smoke rose from destructive fires, only bits and pieces of the road remained and there was never any breeze.

She could hear the screeches of menacing birds flapping the sky, picking at remains of decaying flesh stuck to bone. Civilization had disappeared, devastated beyond recognition.

She could feel nonhuman eyes watching her from the merciless sky above. Her eyes rested on a lone figure standing before a black flame.

It was Itachi adorn in a black silk cape with red swirling clouds, mimicking the landscape around him, a world shrouded in darkness with a bleeding sky. They matched his eyes perfectly as if made in his image.

He removed the cape, allowed it to pool around his heels and she watched him grow wings and fly high, holding between his hands was a crown of sharp metal needles upon a half metal circle meant to cradle the back of the head.

He landed in front of her and extended his arms, holding out the crown for her to accept.

You need only accept.

His words echoed through her mind, he brought the crown behind her head, and the needles projecting out pressed sharply into the back of her head, parted hair, piercing flesh, muscle, bone, and cerebellum. She opened her mouth in a silent scream.

Master… or… slave…

Those words, not of his voice, also whispered in her ear, like the buzzing of cicada. Stunted needles that extended to the front imitated the back needles, stabbing into her cerebrum.

_Which one… will he be?_

Now her screams echoed the room and she was back with Itachi in a black room with a black marble floor reflecting the firelight of the pillars, his fingers deep within her skull, blood coating the side of her face, she wretched his hand out of her skull and collapsed onto the floor.

Sprawled on her back and bleeding from the head, he crawled on top of her, fisting the tattered hem of her mesh shirt and yanking it up over her thighs, hips and stomach, and past her breasts as he slid between her legs, pulling her close as he crushed his lips to hers.

This was not happening, it was a nightmare, all in her mind, infused in her subconscious after he had physically plunged his hand into her chest to get at her heart. That was real and Sasuke had saved her.

Where was Sasuke now, when was he coming to rescue her?

More pain shredded through her like a chainsaw as he bit into her lower lip, drawing an immense amount of her blood and he drank from her lip as she opened her mouth in another silent scream.

If this was a dream then why was the pain so real?

He delved his tongue deep into her mouth, caressing her tongue with his, tracing the serrated edges of her teeth and massaging the soft palate.

She gagged at the taste of her blood and the feel of his tongue practically down her throat. Itachi squeezed her breasts painfully, his thumbs circling the areola and pressing down on her nipples.

He broke the kisses, rubbing his cheek alongside hers as he pressed his mouth coated with her blood against her shoulder, sinking his teeth into her shoulder, breaking the threads of the shirt as he listened to her muted screams.

"Scream," he bit out, turning bloodied lips to her throat, his teeth closing on her just hard enough to break the smooth-texture of her skin.

He dragged his fingertips painfully down her ribs and the flat plane of her tummy. His words were a hiss against her skin. "Scream, Sakura. I know you long to."

He thrust two fingers deep in the center of the flesh between her thighs and she screamed. He was rough. He was uncouth. He gave her no quarter as pushed deeper into her.

Hot tears rolled down the corners of her tightly shut eyes mixing with the blood at her temple as she screamed and screamed in short bursts of breaths.

She could hear his dark, sultry chuckle over her sobbing screams and he withdrew his large, unyielding fingers and sank into her.

Her knees lifted as he held her at the waist with both hands, riding inside her with quick, short thrusts as he nipped her throat.

She raked her fingers against his back sank her fingernails into his flesh, drawing blood as if that would make him pull out of her, stop raping her. He grasped her hair tightly in his fist and pulled her head back, exposing the beads of blood where his teeth broke her skin.

He lapped up the blood, kissed her throat hard enough to leave a bruise and lifted her hips to meet each of his thrusts. "Be mine… leave everything else behind… all your wants, all your needs, I will make them yours, just accept."

"Sasuke…" she sobbed, turning her head as he released her hair only to press his hand to her throat.

"My name only, never his or anyone else's!" she coughed. "I'll make you accept!" He squeezed her throat, her mouth opened, gapping as a fish out of water would, and then he was gone.

She wept, pulled down the netted shirt, drew her shaking, cramping legs to her chest and covered her face with her hands, blood running down the so-called seal on her back. "Sakura," She sat up, pulled her legs close to her body that smelt of him. "Are you alone?"

The darkness melted and she was cloaked in a warm light, there was a soft breeze carrying the scent of lilacs and sage and she wore a white dress that billowed around her body exposing only her arms and clavicles.

The marks Itachi left were still on her, stinging and weeping. "It's okay, you can tell me," the voice said. Sakura was amazed to find her legs in working condition.

She wobbled a little as a carpet of fresh, vivid green grass rushed at her like the filling of a dam. Soon it surrounded her, soft under her feet like velvet.

The sun lounged contently against a wisp of white clouds the azure sky alive with the melody of finches. "Who are you?" she asked as a circular room swirled around her. A wooden door seated a wreath in the center.

There were a set of backless chairs and a long oak table.

A fireplace alive with a blaze of golden-orange and reds, crackling softly and there was a grandfather clock, the long slow ticks filling the air. "Sit down, it's okay. Are you hurt? Drink this."

Now there was a woman about her age with deep brown eyes and chocolate hair wrapped into symmetrical chignons. Between her hands, she held a teacup and Sakura watched the steam roll up into the air pleasantly.

"Here, sit here." the woman said, placing the cup down to smooth out the wrinkles of her pink silk cheongsam. Sakura walked over, the material of her own dress hissing against the white carpeted floor.

Sakura sat in the chair and lifted the teacup, drank and sighed, the liquid settled in her stomach, warming her from the inside out and all her pains faded as the flavor of hyssop and chervil lingered on her tongue.

"Better?" Sakura nodded and placed her elbows on the table and pressed the backs of her hands to her eyes, crying.

The woman sat down across from Sakura and allowed her to weep for only a second before she pulled tenderly on her bruised wrists and moved her hands from her eyes.

"Your very soul, your very life, your very freedom are in peril. We have no place to take you, no sanctified grounds in which to safeguard you."

"I'm scared…"

"I know, but you must have faith and wake up, no one can protect you if you shut yourself away in painful memories and dreams, wake up Sakura so we can better protect you, you must help, they can't fight your battle for you completely."

…

"That's good, open your eyes." Sakura's lips parted as she exhaled. Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, Shino, Shikamaru all stood around her. There was another man among them with dark eyes, hair and an intense expression, his fist shaking and his eyes tearing up.

She had no time to ponder what he was getting all weepy over, her head hurt, as did her neck and her shoulder, she lifted a bruised wrist and touched the right temple, feeling the cotton gauze taped to the side of her head.

Sakura trailed her hand down to the gauze wrapped around her neck and there was one around her shoulder. She gasped and shot up; the woman grabbed her hands and pushed her back onto the bed. "It's over, Sakura, calm down, he can't touch you anymore."

"No?"

"No." she smiled at her, soothed back her hair like a mother would a child and Sakura closed her eyes, taking in a calming breath. "You get some rest," She told Sakura and then stood and faced the men. "Everybody out so she can get some rest."

"Ah Tenten, you're the best!" Naruto cried, hugging her tightly, she shoved him off and ushered everyone out.

Sasuke stayed, looking down at Sakura with those obsidian, emotionless, eyes. He came to stand next to her at the bedside and she looked down at the white blankets cocooned around her.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have run off."

"You're right, why did you do that?" she looked up at him and bit her bottom lip and regretted it immediately when she reopened the cut on her lip.

"You were scaring me, I don't want this… I don't want to be the one you need to protect." he ran his fingers through his hair to the back of his neck before sitting on the bed.

"I know that if I apologized it wouldn't mean I was forgiven, but… I am… sorry that I could not… protect you in your dreams."

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, she could not tell him what happened in her dreams, she was afraid of what he might think, what he might do.

"Before… that… I saw you and her and the way you loved her." Sasuke turned his head away, eyes closing, a pained almost angry expression crossing his features. "I've never been loved like that and seeing you two together, makes me believe you want to be loved like that again."

"No." it was her turn to look hurt, tears slid down her cheek and over the bridge of her nose, her green eyes looking up at him, all emotions void from his eyes and lips.

"But… I'm her aren't I?" she asked, her lips trembling as she spoke. He stood and hid his hands in his pockets.

"I told you before, you'll never be Gabriel, don't talk to me about her again." She closed her eyes and he thumbed away her tears, giving her little fragments of his memories, a kiss, a laugh, a smile. "Don't cry, okay?" she nodded, sniffing back tears.

The way he treated Gabriel was so different from the way he treated her, she just wanted him to look at her the way he looked at Gabriel, maybe it was because she never had love the way Gabriel had love.

Maybe it was because he was beautiful in such an unearthly manner that she wanted nothing more than to touch those bones and heated flesh and breathe in his scent, brushing her lips against his. "Go to sleep," he said, an imperative.

"I'm afraid." she confessed, he nodded and sat back down on the bed, drawing his legs onto the bed and crossing his legs at the ankles.

"I'll sit with you, if you promise not to breathe a word of what you see," she promised and huddled close to him, resting her cheek on his chest. He sighed and slowly, almost reluctantly put his arm around her shoulder.

She closed her eyes, breathing in his scent and weeping silently, trying to forget the nightmare induced by Itachi, trying to push back Sasuke's memories of the girl who wore Sakura's face.

It was still bright out when Sakura finally dozed off, the summer heat filling the room from the slightly open window.

Sasuke listened to her even breaths, her tears had created a small damp circle on his shirt, but oddly enough he did not mind.

Sasuke watched her fast asleep and nothing seemed to matter anymore, she was with him, no longer trapped in her mind with that bastard who had hurt her so bad in her dreams that they followed her into reality.

He felt like he was at war with himself, Sakura or Gabriel… absently he stroked a soothing circle around her shoulder with his thumb and fingers.

He would not betray Gabriel, not for a girl who had the same face as her. Gabriel and Sakura were two completely different people as different as night and day, they were not the same.

He rested his cheek against Sakura's head, her hair soft and silken. It would have been better, better if they had never met.

He pulled her closer. His thoughts and body seemed to contradict each other. Somewhere in his mind, he heard his own voice whisper to him the words:

Just let go… live again for once in your goddamn life.

He never took orders, he gave them, always did what he wanted and knew best, but he was listening now. He placed his hand atop her head, heard her mumble his name incoherently, and tilted her head back, his fingers caught in her silky tresses.

Her eyes opened halfway before his lashes lowered and there was a faint smile on his lips. Sakura could sense his need, the need he could no longer restrain.

She felt safer, safer than she had in such a very long time. His mouth found hers behind the darkness of his eyes. He was taking her breath away.

It was not like her encounter with Itachi where she was hardly awake or her nightmares when he had hurt her and scared her with unpleasant, horrific visions of a world she never wanted to see.

Sasuke's kiss was softer, warmer and tasted of sake. His tongue caressed the line of her lips, she opened her mouth for him, and his tongue filled her mouth and coaxed hers to touch his, caress his. All her fears melted away in his tender, near dominating kiss.

Sasuke hooked his other arm around her waist to lower her onto the bed so that she was under all his weight. She thought drowning was the worst feeling anyone could experience, lungs filling with water, losing access to oxygen, but she was wrong.

Her lungs were not filling with water but she sure felt like she was drowning and it was the most pleasant feeling in the world. She exhaled against his cheek and he pressed his fingers into her cheek and held her still for his kisses.

Itachi's cruel touch flooded into her memory and she began to panic, she reached up to push him away, but before she could pry him away he suddenly stopped, pulled back looking confused as if he did not know where he was or what he was doing.

Her fears ebbed again and she looked up at him, breathing unevenly, his irises shifted from the right to the left, staring hard at her as if she were a stranger to him. She reached out for him, trying to give comfort. He pulled away from her, trying to keep a reasonable distance.

"No," she heard him breathe, pushing himself up off the bed with his palms, his knee between her legs. "What am I doing?" He leaned back, pressing the heel of his palm against his eye as if trying to keep a headache at bay. She sat up slowly, watched him struggle with words, with breathing.

"I'm being punished." he said through clenched teeth, the mark on his back burning his flesh startling her as a purple-black curl of smoke lifted from under the fabric of his shirt. "I- I kissed you just… it was just for a second… but it- was enough." tears filled his eyes, threatening to spill.

She could see herself so clearly in his tear-blinded eyes. "I let her go. I didn't mean to." She shook her head and grabbed his biceps, she was afraid for him, never saw him like this, did not think she would ever see him as he was now.

"Kissing me didn't-"

"No! She was never gone, she was here, inside you," he brushed his fingers against the collar of her tee-shirt, "her light all shining and beautiful and she was… she was with me," tears spilled down his face and he looked down at his open palms, visibly shaking. "We were supposed to be forever and I let her go, I let her be dead."

Sasuke looked up at Sakura and moved off the bed, his feet touching the floor. "She's really dead and I killed her." he receded until his back was pressed against the door bringing his hands up to covered his face.

"Sasuke-kun, no." she went to him and stopped short of grabbing his wrists when she heard him mutter into his hands.

"Please, Gabriel, I'm so sorry. Come back, I didn't mean to!" he yelled into his hands, sliding to the floor as if Sakura was not there. She gasped as she watched ominous black blotches spread all over his exposed skin, his hands, his arms, his cheeks and neck.

Sakura dropped to her knees, took his wrists in her hands, and pulled his hands from his face, her breath hitching as red eyes, that reminded her of Itachi, met her gaze.

"Sasuke-kun, I don't think you did anything wrong." He stared blankly at her as if she were the insane one. "I don't think Gabriel would begrudge you for kissing someone else, you deserve love, and everyone deserves love."

He seemed suspicious of her response, well, maybe there were some people who didn't deserve love, but she was trying to get him to stop blaming him for giving into emotions he had locked away, forbidding himself to feel anything for someone other than a girl he could not physically touch.

"You've had several lifetimes to mourn for her, stop standing on the brink of death and come join the rest of the living." she cupped his face and wedge in between his legs and pressed her mouth to his, softly so not to scare him away.

Her lips moved cautiously against his, making the kiss as chaste and as comforting as she could, her fingers dancing from his face into his hair, pressing him close.

Sakura wished he would kiss her back and stop blaming himself for kissing her, it didn't mean he didn't love Gabriel anymore and she thought in a sense that she and her were virtually the same person after all.

It is only love- it should make him strong, but it has been hurting him for so long now…

Slowly he returned the kiss, but after a second, he broke the contact, turning his head, the marks retreating from his skin.

Sasuke wiped his eyes dry, pushed her back from him, and stood. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have disturbed your sleep; I'll go get you something to eat."

Sakura took the hand he offered and he lifted her to her feet and led her back to the bed, only to hurry out of the room. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, massaging his temples.

Sasuke despised himself for his weakness and her for seeing it, causing it, damn her! He probably scared her, confused her, but she was tender with humiliation, her lips moving against his softly and her fingers moving through his hair like whispers. He hated her for that, too.

When had he started to need her, it was all too abrupt, he needed to put distance between them, he could still protect her from Itachi without getting close.

He just needed to lock his heart away again, keep his emotions in check, and separate the two. Gabriel was the only one he loved. Naruto or Lee could have Sakura for all he cared, hell, the two could fight over her and he would not bat an eye…

…so why did that notion make his stomach churn?

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**Sitting in my corner eating a carton of oreo icecream... is this the end?**


	6. VI: Gathering

**This chapter is mostly about information, so if it seems a little meaningless, it isn't I just gave out a ton of important information, almost like foreboding.**

**Special thanks: You all deserve it… I mean, I was at the bottom of the pit and you all jumped up and convinced me to continue writing. All your notes were very, very insightful. **

**punkgurl: Allow me to shed some light on Itachi: He's Lucifer, Lucifer is the devil, he doesn't care about sweet and tentative, he cares about getting what he wants any way he can get it.**

**Scarlett Fear: Didn't you get the memo, I'm looking for a painless death and I warned you ahead of time that it was a dark fic. Tissues?**

**cweam and cheese: Words like February are hard, but I was speaking of dropping this story all together and then disbanding from fanfiction site until the end of January so I could continue Fade away, I wrote a particular chapter that I'm proud of. Don't worry I've been pushed to continue this one. I would apologize for the dream but it was designed to spark unease.**

**MelfinaPan: I had a thought that someone would say those exact words to me. Thank you. Your words are encouraging.**

**Laura-chan: I want to hear people say that more often. Its hard to let go of your first love, there are so many memories and good times and death is the worse way to lose them. I want to get it across that moving on with someone new, especially with someone who is so alike physically and mentally to that person, is a slow and hesitant process, there is concern that your feelings are there just because of the likeness. So I think you understand that aspect. Thank you.**

**runwithskizzers: Your notes were the most insightful. I've always sought that kind of criticism and your the first person to ever give me it. It felt like a teacher praising their student and I only had that once for a poem I wrote back in middle school.**

**sleepykittycat: See I knew someone was bound to hate me... and you know that was my ice-cream, I was feeding my self-pity! Oh, well... I'll just much on this bag of mini Oreo cookies, yum! Don't worry, Itachi's coat lives! And your right, it's always the beautiful ones who are treading the dark side, though I am in no way attracted to Itachi, just Sasuke, Mmmm...**

**baby's breath: Thank you for reviewing, it makes me happy.**

**Tamiko-Chan1: Speechless. Wow and yay they did kiss. Oh, Sasuke-kun when will you finally see Sakura-chan for her worth in the series, I know they're canon, they just have to be!**

**AlexiaWinters: That's because I went on a self-pity rampage. No, I'm kidding, but I was feeling down and you all made me feel better, your review included. Authors can't let other authors go down without a fight, its like a family of course a lot of families are competitive. And I enjoyed your story even though I lost interest in that series.**

**DarknessFlameWolf: I don't blame you for being away, I understand that my readers have a life of their own too... its just I felt the last chapter tanked and chapter five was going to bring it down with it. And you gave me a nickname, yay, I never had a nickname before, yay!**

**Just a little crazy: I love your notes, they made me feel better about my story. I like writing for Sasuke, the more I learn about him from the series the more I see him for what he is. Just a lost, misguided and horribly abused child. His brother fucked with his mind on such an intense level that he can't come back, his only goal is to see the one who stole the life he knew suffer and perish at his hand. He can't forgive and he doesn't know how to forget, he was there, he had a turning point with team 7 because of youth, but Orochimaru got inside his head and made him believe that because he had no power he could not save his clan and that's a lie. Sasuke wasn't even there and he was eight years old, what could he have done to save the clan? I feel more than lucky that I got someone who hardly reviews for anyone, thank you.**

**Sharp and Pointy: I have to look over my writing more than a few times and go back and make corrections, its a hard thing to do, because I'll reread it and see an error and I want to catch before anyone else sees it, but its worth it to make for an easier read for my readers, that's the most important thing.**

**edeakramer: If life has taught me anything it is to keep your mouth shut about Religion and politics. So I can't really tell you my thoughts on religion, I mean its clear that these are religious prospects... the idea is mostly derived by my over imaginative brain, I live in a heavy fantasy world. I'm glad your enjoying the story and I'm glad I'm doing my part to keep the characters in unison with their true attributes.**

**UchihaSakura87: Here, tissues, you let it all out, tear for tear, there's no shame in crying. What can I do to make it up to you for scaring the living daylights out of you? Want me to write you a cute one shot? Sasuke doesn't hate Sakura, he's just... trying to deal with the fact that Gabriel is locked away inside her, unable to resurface. And he isn't blaming her for being Gabriel, he's blaming himself for feeling for someone other than Gabriel, he feels like she doesn't matter anymore if he gives way to another woman who isn't essentially Gabriel. My ice-cream was stolen, but that's okay, I got mini Oreos.**

**A/N: You people made me feel a lot better, I smiled and giddied over every review, so again, from the depths of my heart, thank you. So here is the next chapter.**

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_A power inconceivable has been unleashed. _

It is an awful portent that heralds

death of the goddess and the breaking of the seals.

-The Gods Speak

Night moved along the land, the stars twinkling brightly like white-blue diamonds against a velvet black sky. The wind blew a warm breeze to play through the archangel's hair and the hymn of the night lark brought melodious noise to the otherwise still atmosphere.

He sighed and sat at the edge of the small pond, in his hand he held a loaf of bread he had taken from dinner. Sasuke crumbled the bread into pieces and tossed the fragments into the water, watching under the clear water every ripple as the koi carp rushed to receive the bits of food tossed their way.

Some were colored red-gold and others shimmering white with swirls of bright orange. He sighed, watching them glide around as he tossed in more crumbs for them to gobble.

"Should we talk?" Sasuke looked back to see Naruto standing behind him, he was smiling that childish smile of his. Naruto was never one to take things too seriously. He was laid-back and was always smiling, even when things looked bad.

"What's there to talk about?" He turned back to his trifling task of feeding Tenten's fish but heard the soft crumpling of grass under Naruto's feet as he came to sit on the ground next to Sasuke. The silence stretched between the two as if neither wished to speak.

"How about… the burning of the marks…?" Naruto threw out, leaning back on his elbows and staring up at the stars.

Sasuke cast him a side-glance before dusting off the remaining crumbs from his hands and laying back all the way, both hands cradling the back of his head.

"How about the others are their marks burning too?" Sasuke asked, watching the sky and listening to the songbirds. Moments like these were far and in between now that Itachi had broken from his prison in the abyss.

There were times when Sasuke could not stand to be around Naruto and his low level of maturity, but there were moments, like these, when they could just be best friends. The outside world did not matter. "Yeah… you think that maybe…"

"…Mammon might be awake?" Sasuke turned his head a little, finishing his friend's thought, "Yes, I do." he went back to looking at the stars.

"Sasuke, we're in trouble, this is the first time… since, you know, he's been awake. We cannot fight Itachi, Mammon, and their little minions all at once. It's too much."

"Don't be stupid, it's our job to protect Sakura, you're the one who said you loved her and would die before you let that bastard take her, didn't you?"

"I did, but Mammon isn't after Sakura, he's after you and I mean he was strong the first time he could-" Sasuke pushed himself up to his feet, towering over Naruto who could only stare up at him with those wide blue eyes.

"Don't worry about me so much, our job is to protect Sakura, let me worry about Mammon." he turned on his heels and left Naruto alone.

"Stubborn," Naruto dropped to his back and looked up at the sky before one star after another shot across the sky. A meteor shower, Naruto jumped to his feet and narrowed his eyes watching the stars align and there it was perfectly bright between the other stars.

Now what… it had not been six sunsets… did Choji lie to him? Naruto was about to turn and run inside when he noted the girl he had seen in the café a while back when they first found Sakura.

The server who had served tea in the café was now standing before him in a white tank top with a shawl tied around her shoulders and she wore a long ruffled white skirt lined with silver thread.

"You're… that girl!" He blurted loudly and then realizing he was yelling, he clamped his hand over his mouth and she took a step back, flinching.

The doors to the cabin opened and Tenten glared hard at Naruto, "What are you doing, yelling in the middle of the night, Sakura's try-" She looked to her right and blinked. "Hi-Hinata, what are you doing up here?"

"T-Tenten, I w-was watching the s-stars and…"

"Wait you know her, Tenten?" Naruto looked between the two, looking as lost as a fish on land. Both women looked over at Naruto and Tenten nodded.

"Raphael, Hinata is Humility." Naruto blinked and then pointed a finger at the blushing girl.

"This is Humility?" he asked and Tenten nodded as Naruto crossed his arms over his chest as if contemplating what she just told him.

"Can we get inside, it's the middle of the night, I would like to go to sleep, Hinata we can talk about the stars tomorrow, and I'll make a nice breakfast-"

"N-No!" Hinata cried, hurrying over towards and taking her by the forearm. "I had a bad dream and- and then- then I woke up and the stars… look at them." She pointed up the stars that had aligned.

"Yeah, I saw that too, there was a rain of stairs and then they aligned like that." Naruto said, rubbing his chin. All three of them looked to the heavens, the brightest of stars earning their attention. "Do you think it has anything to do with the summoning?"

"There was a great wingless dragon in my dream," Hinata said, her arms falling to her side as she watched the star winking against the black sky, there had never been a beautiful star like this in so many eons.

"And he devoured a hundred souls and killed six of the Great Seven Angels and brought Lucifer the informant of Heaven."

Silence, all eyes fixed on Hinata. Naruto was quietly stunned. He feared to be the first one to speak again, but this was worse than he had imagined and the implications were now entirely clear. He found that Neji and Shino were at the door behind Tenten while Kiba and Shikamaru were behind them.

"I sure as hell don't want to die!" Kiba barked, shoving past Neji and Shino and pushing Tenten away. Hinata staggered backward, trembling under Kiba's dark gaze. "Who is this girl, who does she think she is spilling out prophecies!"

Naruto did not like Kiba's tone at all, it was true that one could describe Kiba as hot-tempered, wild and aggressive and he had every right to be upset with hearing that he could die, but this girl was too easily frightened.

Before Naruto could go to stand between them or even open his mouth Shino was stepping in behind Kiba, his hand on his shoulder. "Calm down Kiba, it wasn't a prophecy, just a dream right Miss…"

"H-Hinata," she stuttered, trying to keep eye contact, but failing. "Please this isn't- it is-isn't just a dream, there… t-there is a possibility that it might happen, can I speak with S-Sakura?"

Tenten pushed the others aside and took Hinata's hand. "I told you she's asleep, she's having a hard time taking everything in now. Why don't you talk to Sasuke instead?" Before Hinata could give her responds there was a noise from the roof they all looked up to see Sasuke standing there, one hand pressed against the chimney.

"Talk to me about what?" He inquired, jumping down gracefully from the roof and onto the grass below his feet. Tenten look truly upset with Sasuke, she was about to voice her thoughts when Naruto blurted out what Hinata had told them.

Sasuke looked between Naruto and then at Hinata, who was blushing furiously with embarrassment. "And she wants to talk to Sakura." Naruto finished.

Sasuke shrugged and headed inside, the others followed him and Tenten closed the door. The room was quiet all but for the sound of the fire, Sasuke pulled out one of the seven chairs Tenten had set up at her chair after she had finished checking on Sakura to prepare dinner.

When Sasuke was settled in he looked at his outstretched legs, crossed at the ankles, he seemed deep in thought and the rest decided to sit as well, while Hinata stood, her hands clasped together, looking around for someone who was not there.

"Did you just have this dream?" he asked, finally, looking up at Hinata with a pensive gaze. Hinata looked from Neji to Sasuke and then down at the floor.

"N-no, it was… um, it was t-this morn-morning," she said looking up at him, he shook his head and she opened her mouth only to close it again.

"I don't want you talking to her about that. Neji go with Shikamaru and see if you can find one of those sins and if you see Choji I would really like you to bring him here, you know so we can chat."

"Right." was all Neji said before getting up from the chair and heading for the door.

"What a pain." Shikamaru grumbled following Neji and closing the door behind him on his way out. When they were gone, Sasuke got up from his chair and bid them a goodnight.

He was a step away from the chair when Hinata took him by the arm, looking up at him with troubled eyes. "Please Sasuke-kun, please?"

"No,"

"Sasuke maybe we should-"

"I said no, okay? No." he would not explain to them why he would not let Hinata see her, he just placed his hands inside his pockets and went on his way to Sakura's room to stand guard. He pushed open her door very gently and stepped inside.

The fire in the grate gave off a dangerous orange glow, shaping color along the hardwood floor and the supports of the bed. The orange-gold light danced on her sleeping face, her long lashes making silken shadows on her cheekbones, her fingers curled up into her palms.

Earlier he had given her enough physical contact to have his memories of himself and Gabriel. He wondered which memory exactly she was dreaming; he had so many with her, before that time.

It was strange to know that she had an ability to absorb his memories; none of the other vessels for Gabriel's soul had that gift. Watching her lips part he thought of the dream Hinata had and Naruto explained.

It was a horrible dream, a wingless dragon… a hundred souls… the death of himself and the others.

He could not continue the thought, all he knew was that it meant that Mammon _was _awake and Itachi was summoning Leviathan the great serpent.

…

Long past midnight, weary and enraged by utter lack of success, Itachi fell into his chair. He was so angry he could not form coherent thoughts, but as he turned obsidian eyes to his fingers stained and dry with her blood a faint smile formed on his lips.

How delicious she had been, he had swallowed all her pleasant thoughts and replaced them with what he envisioned for this pathetic world.

He had given her a scatter of the plagues and he had taken her. He lolled his head back pressing his bloodied fingers to his lips.

Her blood was an aphrodisiac, her smell, the texture of her skin and hair all these things brought forth his desire, driving him to his knees.

She was the one who would help him overthrow this miserable realm, just as soon as she accepted, just as soon as she was in the belly of his hell. The door creaked open, brining in a flood of light from the torches outside the hall.

Another one with a river of golden hair stepped into his chamber; he looked up at her as he ran his fingers over his lips, tasting the stagnant blood of Haruno Sakura. She was at the foot of his chair before she knelt at his feet and crawling the rest of the way.

Her hands trailed up from his ankles, up his pant legs and onto his chest, under his black and red cloak, she crawled onto his lap, straddling his hips. Her lips pressed against his throat and he closed his eyes, before he pushed on her forearms, jerking her back.

"What are you doing?" she shivered, not from fear but the pleasure his voice seemed to give her. He grabbed her around the waist and stood, setting her down on the ground. She was a small woman, scantly clad in deep purples that revealed too much skin.

"Well, seducing you of course. I mean I rather take Sasuke-kun to my bed, but right now, I do not really care which one. You have similar faces and voices. To me… you and Sasuke-kun are pretty much one and the same." Ino gave a wicked smile, her fingers reaching for the hem of his mesh shirt.

"Ino… go back to Temari and the others." She pouted, bared her teeth and snatched her hand free of his grasp before going her way.

He could have no other woman now, not after Sakura, not after tasting her blood, her smooth skin, like milk and honey, so sweet. Not after hearing her screams as he moved within her. Her body, tucked small and neat against his was a body to dance in, a body to possess. She was more beautiful than any woman had ever been. She was a woman worthy of honor and offerings.

His fingers were back in his mouth, cleaning off the blood where he once buried his fingers in her skull, within her mind. He needed to bond with her again, touch the color of the power within her body so that he could sneak in her dreams like a moonlight shadow.

Connect with her so that he could give her incentive to accept what he was offering her and give him the power over her so that he could use her against this place and he take his position as the true ruler of this world and the next and the ones to follow…

No! That was not enough; he had to have her here, by his side. Imprisoned in this room with him and submissive to his touch, compel her to ache for his kisses and arch into his body. Scream his name, he could not get her to say his name, her mind had said it in recognition, but not because he touched her, settled inside her.

He wanted to frighten her; her visions had given him the conclusion of what to do with earth. Fatigue, famine, disease, doom, finality, it was such a pretty picture she painted for him. He saw a new heaven and new earth, because the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared and the sea no longer existed.

Her vision of apocalypse was beautiful, haunting and she even conjured up a spectacular crown in which would enslave her to his command.

Her dream of that world ended when she forced his fingers from inside her mind, but when he was fucking her he saw the rest. Her eyes had bled under the skin and her hair extended long, down around her knees and her wings had burst forth, naked of those golden shining white hairs, matched his and she was his puppet, his slave.

She did what he said, what he wanted, no matter the request she did it in earnest. Her mind empty of any other man and she whispered to him the secrets of the universe.

Absently, he wondered if that crown all ready was in existence and if he could only find it, then she would accept everything and all that beautiful power would be at his command.

Five nights left, five long nights. Of course, he deemed time on his side, he was free to walk this world for a full year with little opposition.

Of course, his little brother always had his dirty tricks to keep Gabriel from his reach… his little last resorts.

…

Glancing around as the night breeze nipped at her skin, she discovered the archangels that had been in company with her lovely Sasuke, and they were chatting up that plump Choji.

_Little traitor…_ she thought as she watched the glutton spill information, she left them to their whims and went for a little search, so Sasuke wouldn't come to her, that didn't stop her from going to him. Itachi had told her to go with Temari but she wanted Sasuke now and since Itachi would not give her, what she wanted…

She shrugged her shoulders and went for and stopped, she crouched on the ground and traced a solid circle on the pavement then pressed her finger down around the circle marking little red dots and then she pressed both hands to the circle and the ground sunk making a perfect whole of crackling electricity.

She slipped into the hole and it closed up behind her and spit her out in a beautiful little garden, frankly, it was not to her liking at all, but she crept to the dark house and circled until she noted the light coming from the window.

_How fun…_ she mused as she peeked in the window and spotted Sasuke next to the fireplace, he was leaning against the window eyes closed, but she was sure all his senses were awake. She smirked and continued her examination of the room.

There was the little tramp, sleeping perfectly still, taking long breaths in her sleep. Ino wanted to play. She was a sin after all.

It may not have been her body, but the odds were in her favor. She would get all the pleasure of the senses: touch, taste, sound, scent, and sight, all of it. Sasuke would not even know the difference. She fell to the ground, face to the dazzling sky.

Sasuke eyes opened to the faint sounds of moving, what he saw shocked him more than he thought anything could ever shock him. Her jade green eyes were forest black in the glimmer of firelight and her hair threaded with gold from the blaze.

Her tee shirt was missing and she was wearing bindings for her chest where Tenten had bandaged her injuries. She slid up his legs and he could only stare at the mischievous glint in her eyes and the wicked curve of her full and luscious lips.

Sakura's fingers danced under his shirt, against his stomach muscles and higher, tracing the curve of his ribs until she was leaning so close that her mouth was a breath from his. He watched her with his dark eyes waiting for her to initiate the kiss.

She chewed the lower lip of his mouth and he closed his eyes and went flaccid as she pulled his shirt up over his head and tossed it to the side. He leaned into the kiss, his fingers running through her hair. She slipped her arms under his and dragged him down atop her, onto the carpet.

He was genuinely surprised at her sudden dominance, but not without being aroused as well. She broke the kiss to nip at his throat. "So…" she panted, looking up at him with eyes the reflected hidden lust, "how do you want me?"

Sasuke jerked his head back at the sinful smirk she gave me, "How do I…" he pulled back, not sure what she was asking him. Something was off.

"What do you want to do with this body," her fingers dragged slowly up his spine, making his heart race a little faster. "Am I a bad girl, do you need to punish me?"

That line, he heard that line before, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up with him. "Ino!" he cursed and she smiled, her hand reaching up to brush his hair from his face.

"I should have known, lover, you're such a clever man, all that ticking in that brain, analyzing, cunning scheming and your wolf-like eyes." she tried to kiss him, but he shoved her back down and she laughed, her hand dragging between Sakura's breast.

"You should see what it's like in here Sasuke-kun, hardly any room and brighter than the sun, I'm all crowded and Sakura's crying while Gabriel is fighting to get me out of here."

"Then get out, before I find your body and make it so you can't get back in." she laughed again, working Sakura's body so that she was standing before the Fire angel.

"All the bloodlust, thank the Master for free-will, I bet if you just give in to all that hate you're feeling right now Itachi might let you live, just give him Gabriel so he can destroy this world and you know you would make for a lovely ally."

"I warning you now, Ino." he hissed at her, "Don't make me warn you again." She pushed Sakura's hand to her temple and shook out her pink tresses.

"Fucking… Gabriel." she whined. "I didn't even get to have my fun." tears slid down Sakura's cheeks, then she crumpled to the floor, and Sasuke caught her before she hit the ground.

"Sasuke…?" He was so stupid, he was getting all worked up over Sakura that he had purposely blinded himself to Ino, he just wanted to touch her once without her absorbing his memories.

Sasuke let himself ignore the fact that Sakura would never do anything so bold after what Itachi put her through in her dreams, though the exact details of that dream were still unknown to him, but she just was not that kind of girl.

His feelings were a train wreck, his heart still cried out for Gabriel and reprimanded him for kissing Sakura, especially after Ino invaded her mind, but that was more of his common sense saying that he should have known better.

He didn't hate Sakura, he just hated that he was falling… no falling in love was too strong of a word, the feelings he felt for Sakura were defiantly different than the feelings he felt for Gabriel, she was his first love, after all.

All he knew about his feeling for Sakura was that he wanted to protect her, not just from Itachi but also from anyone who might hurt her, physically or emotionally. He did not want to share her, he did not want her looking at anyone else the way she looked at him, and he did not want anyone else looking at her the way he tried not to look at her.

He lowered her onto the bed and drew the sheets up to her shoulder. "It's okay," he told her, stroking back her hair, before stopping his hand. "Go back to sleep, I'm right here if you need me."

"Will you stay here?" he nodded, he just told her that, did he not? She looked up at him through tear-sheen eyes. "Will you hold me?" It was not a good idea to put his arms around her or sleep next to her, at the time being he felt like a very fine thread about to snap.

Sasuke felt he needed to put as much distance between them as he could. "Please, I'm scared." He wondered if that was always going to be her excuse just to get close to him or rip his sanity into shreds.

Sasuke sighed, giving in and circled the bed. He slipped between the cool sheets and pulled her into his arms, his cheek resting against hers.

"Better?" he asked, feeling her heartbeat in unison with his. She nodded and closed her eyes. Suddenly he remembered he was shirtless.

He never felt more awkward in his life; it was not everyday he was in bed with her, at the hotel and now, but never before, never with any of the other girls who had harnessed Gabriel's soul. They had been attracted to him, but he was only attracted to Gabriel.

Everyday was like a revelation, just looking at Sakura and they way she reflected Gabriel so perfectly, the thought consumed him. He pulled away from her a little so that he could better see her face.

It was a beautiful face: a face of an angel, there was irony for you. She was an angel under all that mortality. Gabriel, the Elemental angel of water, Heaven's messenger and so forth. She had such a power within her that it could very well destroy the world the Master had created.

It could destroy the lives, the graces, and certainly all six of them as well as the Virtues. He was worried, he wondered if one of the Virtues could perform a seal or a protection barrier for Sakura.

Ino had been able to slip into her mind and work her body like driving a car, if she had not been so stupid in trying to bed him, she probably could have delivered Sakura straight to Itachi. Sasuke could not have that, there had to be a way to prevent that from happening again.

"I'll protect you," he promised her, even though she was dozing softly under and against him, just another thing for him to add to a long list of worries. A part of him told him not to worry that he would protect Sakura with his life lest he resort to only option left for him.

He would not let that happen, he would not let it come down to that… not this time around. He was strong and he would prove it once and for all. This time around, he would end the cycle.

It must have been an hour later before he was able to slide out of the bed and find his shirt. He sat back down at his original post. He would not close his eyes this time, this time he would watch the window and the door.

…

Carefully placing Ino down onto a futon draped in black bed sheets, a tall man wearing a mask, a black kimono and hakama crouched in front of her with a glass of water. She shifted a little in the bed before he tossed the water in her face.

Ino sat up, gasping for air not for the need of oxygen rather because of the shock she got from the cold water on her hair and on her face. "WHAT THE FUCK!" she screamed, wiping her eyes of water.

"What did you think you were doing there?" he asked in a calm, languid voice, slowly removing his mask to reveal a rather effeminate face, his eyes were hard, judging and question all at once.

"I wasn't do anything Sloth, I was just having fun you know?" he chuckled and leaned back so that his feet were out in front of him, he tilted his head, acting like a child. "I really hate you Haku, you know that, why the fuck are you here anyway?"

"Zabuza sent me, the gathering is upon us and you were jeopardizing everything, you do know that all the Sins and greater demons must take part in this for the bloodying to be in effect, we will baptize the world in blood for the arrival of the end."

She grabbed him by the collar of his kimono and pulled him on top of her. He moved his eyes over her face, questioning. "What are you doing now, Lust?"

"You're young and you have a woman's likeness, but you're also slow and so I can draw out a long pleasure from your body, besides my fun was taken, it's not like it means anything." She kissed him then, harsh and punishing.

Haku kissed her back, taking his time to respond as she rolled him over so that she was on top, untying the string that held his hakama together, before dragging them down and pulling open his top.

Ino licked his throat as his fingers slipped under her shirt, tracing the curve of her spine as she hunched over him. "When Asmodeus arrives forget seeking pleasure from me again." Haku drawled. She only scraped her teeth along his throat in response.

"There's only one man I want chained to my bedpost for all eternity." she said before sucking on his the lobe of his ear, she loosened his hair and rolled them over, holding his hips captive between her thighs, to feel his silky dark brown almost black strands tickle her shoulders and bare breasts.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Exactly," she pulled him down for a painful kiss, bit his lips and his shoulders and he let loose a long, slow groan, pushing up on her back to fit them together.

"The gathering is more important than your carnal desires." She moaned and tilted her head back as his fingers pressed over the swell of her breast.

"You wouldn't be saying that if Asmodeus were in trouble, I think you have feelings for him." he squeezed the bountiful flesh and bit into the peaking nipple. She moaned again, fisting his hair as he took his time in biting the hard flesh.

"I am his weapon, his advocate, his means to help bring this world to its knees." he punctuated each word with a kiss, trailing from her throat to her stomach. "You're only looking out for yourself, Lust, it's very unbecoming."

"And you're talking too much, Haku. The gathering can wait another minute. Fuck me, that's all I want." he pressed down on her hand, and nodded.

"Of course, Ino, that's all you'll ever want." He kissed her then pulled away. "Of course you really should be with the others, helping them prepare the seal, I'm sure it would speed things up. Mammon will come when Leviathan is summoned."

"Do you think, Haku, If I join Mammon I could be with Sasuke-kun, he wants him almost as much as I."

"Ask him when he comes; he might say yes, he's greedy, hungry for immortality beyond immorality." she chuckled, draping her arms around his neck and pulling him for another kiss.

This intimate action meant nothing to either of them, Haku was just letting Ino have her way, after this he would not go to her again, his heart, if you could say he had one, belonged to Zabuza just as Ino was obsessed with Uchiha Sasuke.

* * *

**Now I must go prepare my fight scene, I have such a hard time with those.**


	7. VII: Headstrong

**This is the longest chapter I've written with out the post information. I finished it within less then three days with it flowing right out of my brain to my fingers, and its a favorite right after chapter five for a line I wrote.**

**Index of characters :**

**Haku: The sin: Sloth. He has the face of a beautiful woman, but he is anything but fragile. He is loyal particularly to the demon Asmodeus and does whatever bidding the demon may ask of him.**

**Zabuza: The greater Demon: Asmodeus, besides sending his loyal retainer to help with the summoning not much else is known.**

**Hyuuga Hinata: The virtue: Humility, she comes with a dream to share with the others pertaining the Summoning Itachi is conducting. She fears the dream may come to pass and wishes to share with Sakura, but Sasuke refuses, for reasons unknown.**

**A/N: I can't wait, it the second to last week before I can update Fade Away, why I decided to make it a monthly updated story, I'll never know. Of course, it does psych me for the update. And this story here I can't wait for the chapter I've been roughdrafting for almost an entire month now, it just kees getting better and- I should stop before I try to give things away. I tape my mouth!**

**Special Thanks: MelfinaPan, Scarlett Fear, cweam and cheese, baby's breath, sharinganblossom212, UchihaSakura87**

**Acknowledgements: Just a little crazy: I'm glad I could make Ino get a little more love even though she's such a selfish Sin. It's hard to put this story into aspect, especially when a chapter is more informational then anything else. And I just felt that Haku would be the perfect Sloth... besides I think I'm running out of character placement.**

**sleepykittycat: You're becoming one of my favorite reviewers, you make me laugh and I love your usual lengthy reviews. You also give me some good ideas to add with my others one.**

**AlexiaWinters: Never fear, I too wish to beat Sasuke senseless, of course the original Sasuke more so for abandoning team 7, every time I see the clip where Naruto is chasing after Sasuke through the forest I scream: Get back here! and there more than one occasion where I wish I could punch him in the face for being such a stupid, stubborn, silly man! whew... got a little shaky there. Oh and you don't have to advertise me, but it would be something nice.**

**Laura-chan: Did I make you blush? Ino's a bad girl, all she wants is Sasuke-kun, but mostly because he rejects her the most, plus I don't think she's been getting any for awhile. Go ahead think what you want of Itachi, but I spit on him ::Spit:: That's just how I feel towards the man that ruined Sasuke's life.**

**

* * *

**

The unsuppressed soul

lets flow oceans of blood

The Watchers

drink and raise high the basin of fire

-Drakengard

She woke alone.

She was aware that she was cold, the fire in the hearth had died out sometime during the night and she had been lucky enough to wake with the warm, cool dawn, the flood of color pleasant enough to look at, but she was lonely without Sasuke in her room, by her side.

Sakura tried to move but her limbs felt heavy as though she were sinking into thick warm liquid. She rolled onto her back.

She had one of the second worst dreams, she dreamt that she had been possessed like those movies where the priest would come and try to banish the evil inhabiting spirits.

The whole scenario was a little redundant by now. That urge to runaway was creeping in her mind like a persistent fly buzzing about her head.

There was a knock on her door and she pushed herself up, but drew the blankets high over her shoulders when she realized she was shirtless.

Now she really wanted to know what happened last night. She relaxed a little to see that it was Tenten with a tray of fish with soy sauce and rice and a cup of her aromatic herbal tea.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan, I brought you breakfast." Tenten said with a warm smile. "I hope you like it; Neji-kun won't touch my food. I do believe he thinks it's poison."

Sakura tried her best to repress her laugh, but some sounds slipped passed her tightly sealed lips. Tenten smiled back at her and set the tray at Sakura's side. Sakura could not imagine why Neji would think such a thing, the food smelled positively delicious.

She took the warm teacup between her hands, felt it heat her up as she lifted it to her lips for a long slow sip. The eucalyptus flavor lingered on her tongue as the liquid warmed her completely. Tenten brought a chair to the bed.

"Where's Sasuke-kun?" she wondered, not looking at Tenten, but focusing on her chopsticks as she lifted the plate of the fish. She felt a little silly about last night, she had been afraid, but she could not help feeling that he wanted to put a hundred feet between them. She supposed he did not like her. His job after all was only to protect her.

Sakura wanted to kiss him again and press herself against his solid frame, it felt so nice to be in his arms, especially after the horrific dream she had. "He went out, for his long lonely walk, that's all I know, the others are here in the kitchen or out in my garden. Sasuke told me what happened last night."

"Maybe you could relay it to me; I don't remember it all too well. I felt as though I was having a nightmare and that I could not control my own body, everything is a blur."

"Well Sasuke didn't say much, he told me that Lust or you may know her as Yamanaka Ino had snuck into your subconscious and took over your body. That's all he told me, except that she was removed before she could deliver you to Itachi."

Sakura shivered, she did not like that name and the feeling it provoked. Fear, it was all over her and she really wanted a bath right about now. I brought you some clothes, my old stuff I think it'll fit you, you're bit of a skinny girl, your hips not as curvy." Sakura peaked under the blanket at her hips.

Tenten burst out laughing and patted Sakura on the head. "The guest bathroom is there, if you feel like taking a bath, I have something to give you when you're finished." She got up out of the chair and headed for the door, leaving Sakura alone.

Sakura touched her forehead, someone head snuck into her mind? She could not help but feel violated. She hoped no damaged had been done. Quietly after finishing her fish, she set to work on her rice. When she finished she pulled back the covers and slid off bed.

Her legs were weak from not moving and all the physical stress her body had gone through. She wobbled a little but gained her ground and she headed for the bathroom. She pushed open the door and found the room was quite lovely.

The walls and floor were seated with white and cyan tiles, the high window was adorn with a powder blue curtain that was thin enough to allow in the sunlight, but Sakura switched on the light all the same. The light came from two glass flower-shaped lamps on either side of an oval mirror framed in hand craved mahogany.

Rosemary incense sticks were burning all ready and the clothes Tenten had mentioned lay out on a table near the sink. She slowly stripped of her jeans and began to remove the bandages on her shoulder, throat and torso. She stepped in front of the mirror which was large enough to reflect her entire upper body.

For the first time she could see the damage that had been down to her flesh. There was a pale-splotched scar between her breasts. Blue and black marks were marred on her shoulder and neck around reddish-brown scabs where his teeth had sunk into her skin.

Her fingers pressed against the gauze still taped to the side of her head, she was afraid to see the damage and it still caused her a minimal amount of pain. She ran her fingers over her bruises, testing how tender they were. Pain followed with each press of the fingers, so it was best to stop touching them all together.

She almost broke down when she turned the metallic-blue faucets. She had been raped in her dreams, but the damage to her skin had followed her and they all had seen it, the abuse she had endured, she could only hope that they hadn't heard her scream in her sleep either.

It was too much to bear… she felt dirty and unclean and there was no way to rid her flesh of the dirt, no way to get clean again, because the dirt was under her skin, seated in her soul. She slid into the bathwater that had filled up high enough to engulf her legs.

The water was pleasantly warm and she leaned back, but had to lean forward again when she pressed into her aching back, she had almost forgotten about the scar on her back. Tears filled her eyes, not from the physical pain, rather that of the emotional.

She would not wish this on even her worst of enemies, but she sure as hell wish she had not been the one to have to endure it either. No one would leave her alone, someone had slipped into her like a fucking machine and another had raped her without inhibition.

That dream… that horrific future she hoped would never happen. Her head hurt when she remembered the torture of the needles embedding into her head, the feel of his fingers in her skull, she became dizzy and decided to distract her mind, lest she lose her breakfast.

There was a built-in cabinet at the bathtub side and she slid it open to find bath oils and hair-cleaning soaps. She would have to be careful with her hair, so she decided to pour in a fair amount of orange jessamine oil.

Soon her bathwater was fragment with smell of orange-blossoms. Sakura scooted down a little and laid back until her head was wet, she turned her head so that one ear was submerged in the water and the gauze was only a little damp, she supposed they would have to replace it. It was rather bloody anyway.

She washed her hair with a softly scented shampoo and conditioners, making her hair smell like lotus flowers. Washing her hair proved a task she never thought would become a chore, but she got all the suds out in due time and was able to feel at least a little cleaner.

If she did not think about the rape, she would be okay, of course, she would feel better if Sasuke was with her, to hold her and press a chaste kiss to the side of her undamaged temple. She drained the water and stepped out of the tub, taking a towel and patting down her body slowly.

She dressed in the knee long green lace trim skirt and the white tank top. It was a pretty outfit, complete with flower pattern black flats. She thought it nice that Tenten would even give her a deep blue headband. It did not even touch the gauze on her temple.

She opened the door after she had dried her hair by running her fingers repeatedly through the damp tresses. She blinked to see Hinata in her room, making her bed. "H-Hinata, is that you?" The girl with indigo hair turned, then smiled, and walked over to her, flushed with that cute blush of hers.

"H-how are you feel-feeling Sakura-chan?" she asked with that stutter of hers. She was such a shy girl, she wondered why; she had no reason to be self-conscious. Maybe she was just naturally shy.

"I've had better days, Hinata-chan, trust me." Sakura said, walking over to the bed to sit down, causing a little pain as she did. "How about you, what are you doing here, do you know these people?"

"Um… um… I do, I'm Humility." Sakura blinked, it was true that she was modest and even politer than the average person… oh-OH!

"Really…?" Hinata nodded, looking down at her feet and she pressed her fingers together as a child caught doing something they should not have may. "So you're in this too, I wonder if there was a normal person I met since my move here."

"I'm sorry I deceived you, none of us were sure it was you at first, not until we felt Gabriel's presence. I'm not suppose to be talking to you, but I thought you should-"

"What do you mean you aren't supposed to be talking to me?" Their eyes met, Sakura eyes were hard and filled with confusion while Hinata's were wide.

"Well, Sasuke-kun told me not to, but I wanted you to hear my dream." Sasuke told Hinata not to talk to her, why would he do that? Hinata would not harm a fly. In fact, she made Sakura believe that she was too afraid of a fly. "Will you listen to my dream, it's important."

Sakura watched as she hurried to sit by Sakura's side on the bed then she began to tell her of a wingless dragon, the death of the angels and something about being delivered into the hands of Itachi.

Sakura shook her head and then lifted her shoulders in a defeated shrug. "I don't know what you want me to say, I can't read dreams or anything like that and you should have seen my dream, it was worse. I was all alone with Itachi and the world had just suffered such destruction."

"Have you told Sasuke-kun about it or Tenten-chan or the any of the others?" Hinata asked without a stutter. Sakura shook her head.

"I can't, the way he would look at me, I couldn't bear it," she said, hugging herself as if it would give her some sort of comfort she knew it would not.

"How-how would he look at y-you, Sakura-chan?" Sakura stood up and shook her head.

"No, I don't want to talk about it; I don't want to have to remember. If Sasuke-kun or the others died because of me…" the room was spinning and walking fast was not helping very much. She was hyperventilating and her vision was blurring at the corner of her eyes.

"S-Sakura, are you all right?" Hinata asked, standing up and going to her side, but before Hinata could touch her, the door opened and the last thing Sakura saw was Itachi before the darkness devoured her and she was falling to the ground below her feet.

…

"Sakura…" Sasuke ran over to her and rolled her onto her back, blood was leaking past the edges of the bandage where she hit her head and reopened her wound. Tenten and Naruto hurried into the room as Sasuke looked up at Hinata. "What happened!" he demanded, successfully getting Hinata to cower.

"I-I I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun, we were talking and she started talking about her dream… she got overworked and then she passed out."

"Not good enough, you better get out of here." he said, looking back down at Sakura.

"Hey, Sasuke-teme, don't be such an ass! It was an accident; Hinata-chan said she was sorry." Naruto shouted down at Sasuke who was taking the towel Tenten was offering him to press it against Sakura's bleeding head.

"Whatever, I told her not to talk to Sakura about it and she did it regardless. Now look at Sakura." Tenten muttered something about getting bandages and Naruto led Hinata out of the room. "You're so much trouble." Sasuke whispered to Sakura.

He rested her head on his lap and stroked back her hair as he removed the red gauze on the side of her head. He discarded into the trash bin and daubed at the blood with the towel. Tenten was back with a bowl filled with tepid water and a clean cloth along with the bandages.

Sasuke cleared the blood away until he could see the broken skin then he pressed the clean surgical dressing to her wound starting to bleed again. He tapped it up and then carefully he lifted her in his arms and placed her back on the bed. "Can you still put the seal on?"

"I think it would be best if she were unconscious when I did put the seal on. So, yes, go ahead and leave it to me." Sasuke nodded and stepped back to let Tenten go about her work.

"What I got from Choji proves that it is Leviathan that their summoning and Mammon is awake, I think Itachi is more determined then ever to get his hands on Sakura."

"Do you think you'll have to… you know?"

"Not if I can help it, I'm sick of using that trick and I think Itachi may have found away around it this time, what can I do? I do not want to have to do something so extreme just to protect this world. You have no idea how tired I am."

He took a seat on the chair as Tenten lifted Sakura's arm and began to paint on her skin with Sakura's blood on her arm, until her skin was marked with a long line stretching from her shoulder to her center finger's fingernail and the other circled around her elbow so it looked like an extensive cross.

Tenten muttered an incantation in Latin and the blood faded under her skin until it was gone. "Didn't even hurt, I just didn't want to worry her, so this should keep Ino out."

"Should?" He lifted a single brow, questioning her choice of words.

"What can I say? It is such an old protection spell. I'm not saying lust is dumb, she isn't but she's single-minded her goal is finally catching you." Sasuke shrugged it off. He had absolutely no patience for Lust, she could swoon and dote over him until the world no longer needed them and he still would not want her.

Gabriel and Sakura were the only women on his mind. He watched the latter as she began to regain consciousness. He got up out of the chair and slipped his hand in hers. Tenten left the room, giving to the alone time she believed they needed. He scoffed at her silly antics.

"What happened?" she murmured her eyes focusing on Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun…?"

"Shh, it's okay now. You fainted, I am going to get Naruto to make you some medicine and then we have to leave here, they know our location do not ask me how. Just rest for a while." she nodded, liking the feel of his cold hand against her forehead. "I think you have a fever, just rest, I'll be back." she nodded and closed her eyes, covering her face with her hand. She certainly did feel sick and she wanted Sasuke's cold hand back on her brow, all those bittersweet memories flooding in her mind.

The way he wrapped his arms around her petite frame, kissed her awaiting mouth, whispered something in her ear just to provoke a laugh. He spent all his time with her and sometimes with Raphael, all three of them together.

Though unnaturally jealous, her favorite memory of his given to her by the brush of his fingers and touch of his lips was a particularly sunny day in the field of wildflowers.

Together they sat under the dappling shadows of an evergreen away from everyone. They were alone together after visiting with an older man and chatting away the morning. Now in the midday she was sprawled on his chest between his legs, moving her lips against his in a slow, arousing manner.

His fingers were combing through her long hair, pulling her closer every few seconds to get as much contact from her mouth to his as possible. He would grab her arm after a moment and pull her all the way up, working his legs between hers so that she was straddling his lap.

One hand cupped the back of her hip, while the other kneaded the swell of her breast under the fabric of her dress. He was able to make her moan, got her body to respond to his caresses and his hard thrust of her lower body onto his lap. He kissed her harder when she tried to break for air and cry out.

Sasuke pulled her head back and looked into her dazed green eyes, she was panting softly and he kissed her chin, sucking on the curve before pulling back. "Tell me you love me," and she would tell him.

He kept her head back with one hand and squeezed her breast, watch her reaction before looking down at the fabric of her dress that hid her breasts until her nipples gathered into hard crowns to meet his touch. There was no shame when he asked to look at her, but there was a need to make sure no one else saw her.

His hand crept under the hem her chemise and she fell against him as he traced the flesh between her legs, intent on giving her all the pleasure he felt she deserved. "Tell me. Tell me how I make you feel."

Before Sakura could hear the reply, Sasuke was back in her room, shaking her softly and holding a fresh cup of tea, only it did not smell like Tenten's herbal tea. It smelt like medicine. "Drink this it took Naruto a couple of tries to make it, but he did."

Sasuke helped her sit up and a swarm of warm memories flooded over her. She drank the tea and coughed at the bitter taste it left. He patted her back and she lay back against the mattress, moaning weakly. She could not help herself when his hand stroked her hair; she just had to let him know.

"Don't stop touching me."

It was the wrong thing to say. He backed off immediately, taking the empty cup with him. Sakura bit her lip and she closed her eyes, her lashes squeezed to a straight line, beaded with tears.

She was wishing she had not frightened him, but she could not stop her damn mouth and now he was further from her than she wanted.

He did not say anything to her, only left the room with the warm sunlight flooding over her face from the window. Tears made a cool trail down her cheek against the summer heat, there were times when she thought that he might open up to her and finally say words she longed to hear.

Not an 'I love you' but rather an 'I want you'. Love could follow after that, she did not mind, she just wished that someday he would tell her. She could not stand to be so far from him and she wondered if those feelings had anything to with Gabriel.

"No," she concluded, aloud to herself. She wiped her tears away with the heel of her hand. No, she was falling in love, genuine love. He was beautiful, strong, and enduringly faithful. He was someone to admire, if only he would look at her the way he looked at Gabriel.

Here she was in front of him and Gabriel was dead… it was awful to think the way she was, but she was desperate, the closer they got the closer she wanted to stay.

…

"I can't do it anymore." Naruto was the first to look up. He stood there, with his arms at his sides, his eyes staring off into some little corner. "Naruto you and the other's get Sakura to Patience, I have something I need to do, alone."

"What are you talking about? You're the one who said we had to protect her."

"Look I know what I said, we do, and I trust you to follow through with the orders, but I have something I need to take care of, get it, dobe?"

"No, I don't get it, why don't you-"

"Naruto…" Neji interjected. Both men looked over at him; he looked pensive, deep in thought. "Sasuke is our hierarch, he says he has something to take care of then that's the end of the discussion."

"Don't I get to know where you think you're going at a time like this?" Naruto asked, his fingers curling into his palms to form a fist.

"No. Just make sure you do all you can to ensure Sakura's life and… don't let Itachi get her or I won't forgive you." He said with all seriousness.

Despite his tone a slow smile spread across Naruto face, he was grinning up at Sasuke bright azure eyes. "Let's make a deal I protect Sakura with my life and you make sure you come back alive." he raised his fist, outstretching his arm.

Sasuke's eyes widen before he smiled back at Naruto, lowering his lashes. Their knuckles connected and Sasuke turned on his heel and left the cabin. "See you later, dobe."

The warm midday breeze nipped at his hair and Sasuke embarked on his side journey. He knew exactly where he was going and why he felt he needed to go there. Distance, plain and simple, he needed to put a much distance between him and Sakura as he possibly could.

She was like an itch on his skin, a terrible distraction and an occupational hazard. His job was to protect her not make her fall in love with him and vice versa. If he fell in love, he might slip and lose sight of the bigger picture.

He drew in the air the sigil, the same one Naruto had drawn all those days ago when they first saved Sakura and he was gone, like a puff of smoke.

He did not think it would work as well as to send him into the heart of the smooth gray aggregate grounds. Crags jutted up to the sky behind a blood red sky. "You've come a long way… alone."

Watchers- three of them- were standing on the edge of the rise above Sasuke. He had never seen Watchers together before, they appeared solely, never in a group, so these were a strange bunch. "Zaku, Kin, it seems we have a guest, do try to show some hospitality."

"What do you think of us, Dosu? That we're some kind of barbarians?" The one man without the bandages wrapped around his face jumped down so that he was directly in front of Sasuke, smirking arrogantly. "Say, I know who you are… aren't you Itachi's little brother."

"You should watch your mouth." Sasuke said in a voice that belied his rage. The Watcher shrugged his shoulders and circled Sasuke's slowly as if analyzing.

"Touch a nerve? Well, let me make it up to you by giving you a warm welcome." He swung at Sasuke who immediately leaned back to avoid the connection.

Sasuke pressed both hands to the flat cold surface of the kick and the heels of his boots propelled the assailant back. He flipped backwards and landed smoothly onto his feet just in time to see Zaku fall prone.

Sasuke pushed himself up and while around, his arms reaching out and his hands grasping the girl's who soared down to tackle him, he swung her hand and released her hands, and she rolled midair and worked her body around so that her feet and hands connected with the ground.

She pushed herself forward and pulled from the belt at her side a long sharp dagger. Sasuke jumped back, the treads of his soles hitting the rise of the rocks as she slashed at the air, trying to cut him.

He flipped behind her, grabbed her wrists and drew her arms behind her back, forcing her to drop the blade as he leg wrapped around hers, drawing it back to draw her off balance.

"Let me go!" she screamed at him, trying to wrench free, but he held her secure. That is until the bandaged Watcher jumped down, he was quick, and he swiped at Sasuke with two clenched fists.

Kin fell to the floor and rolled onto her back, jumping to her feet with the use of her hands. Zaku was on Sasuke's right, using legs and fists. He dodged to the best of his ability, they were fast… but Sasuke of course was faster.

Sasuke's wrist met Zaku's neck and sent him flying back. He then dropped to the floor for a roundhouse kick and sent Dosu onto his back. The like fire embers his skin was marked, it glittered before turning solid black, marring his skin while his eyes turned bright vermilion.

A ragged, agonized cry broke through the air and Zaku fell to his knees. Sasuke dropped his arms and turned to the other two Watchers. "Is that the best you can do?" He asked, giving them a wicked smile. Blood splattered on his cheeks after fracturing both radius and humerus so severely in both arms that the bone jutted. "Where's Mammon?"

"You think we would tell you?" Kin shouted, digging her nails into her skin and pulling down on the flesh, spilling the darkest of blood, revealing gray flesh underneath. Sasuke could vaguely remember the true look of a Watcher.

It was a gruesome sight if he could remember correctly, they were taller than a normal size man was and they had sharp canines and glowing yellow eyes, almost like a snakes and wolfs combined. Their wings were simply charred bones with scarps of decaying flesh.

"No, Kin." he stopped her, holding his arm out in front of her and she dropped her hand, her fingers stained with her own blood. "It is interesting that you would like to see Mammon now, of course, he's not going by that name now. Orochimaru… is not ready to see you just yet, your powers are still… how, shall I say… lacking?"

"You think I'm weak, look at your friend I could do the same to you and that one, even in your true forms."

"Indeed, but let's say that it is Orochimaru you couldn't take on at this moment, of course, he could simply be bidding his time, either way he would prefer a few more days to go by, rumor has it that Itachi is summoning Leviathan."

"I didn't come here to talk!" Sasuke snarled, preparing to rush them, he turned to see a conscious Zaku sweeping out his legs to knock him down.

"I suppose you didn't!" Sasuke jumped to avoid it, but Dosu slammed in the chest and went flying into the wall of the rock ledge Dosu rushed him again; Sasuke lost his balance, again and went tumbling to the ground.

His reaction time was off now; the mark on his shoulder blade was beginning to crackle, imitating the sound of electricity. Hollering in pain, Sasuke dropped to his knees and rolled onto his back, but not before Kin's foot connected with his jaw, he could not even guard against it as he was crippled by the pain.

"That's enough, you three… That was very entertaining." A voice hissed from nowhere Sasuke could see. He closed his eyes the pain running through his veins like lightning. He knew though… he knew it was Mammon.

Sasuke opened his eyes; faded back to their natural color and his skin empty of black marks. Gradually he lifted his hand to press it to the back of his aching skull. He could not keep his eyes open anymore, too much exertion.

"No…" he murmured, sinking into the darkness like a stone falling to the bottom of a murky pond. If only he could see the light at the end of the tunnel, he should have said good-bye to Sakura first… he had made a promise with Naruto. He could not lie. Was he lying now?

"I can't… die… yet." and he was gone.

…

The sky was white gold, there was not a cloud in the sky, but he was in the garden. In fact, he was in the garden, the garden where he and Gabriel had spent most of their time together. He felt the tears fill his eyes, coat the orbs with liquid he refused to spill, but his heart hurt, there was a tightening in his chest and he felt as though it would shatter open his heart.

He could smell her scent, always flowers, so sweetly perfumed. She was behind him warm and tender and he could not move he felt rooted to the spot like the tree that would sit under on extremely bright days. "Sasuke…" her voice, sweet and low bounced around him as though they were in a dome.

Her hand touched his arm and he flinched, turning away. There was always a door in the recess of his mind, a door that he could not open, because of fear or guilt, still was not sure which reason it was. "Did you have a hard time, finding your way here?"

"Gabriel… do you… forgive me for not being able to protect you?"

"There's nothing to forgive, I was protecting you. I never blamed you, not once. You loved me. That's all that matters." He could see her arms as they twined around him and he touched her and she broke like a raindrop hitting the ground.

Her voice faded, the garden faded and he was staring up at a gray ceiling with a whirling fan attached to the ceiling. He could smell the intense fragrance of incense and he wondered briefly, where he was?

Oh, his head hurt, as though a car had hit him. He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, there was a woman standing at his bedside. She had long blond hair that she had tied back and she had honey-brown eyes. He blinked and lifted his hand and found the wrist bandaged.

The last thing Sasuke could remember was that he was unconscious on a flat plane of rocks and the voice of Mammon was speaking. He could hear voices, softly speaking like whispers. "Where-" his first word, his mouth felt like cotton and his throat was sore. He wondered how long he had been out.

"Konoha Hospital, you were found lying in the street, you almost got hit by a car." She said and then he looked around, there was an intravenous linking from his arm to a plastic bag filled with blood and he was connected to a heart monitor.

He could hear the soft, steady rhythmic pulsing of the machine keeping in time with his slow and even heartbeat. He had to admit that he was grateful for science and medicine, to think that people left the dying and sick in the hands of fate rather than help out. Faith was a powerful thing, but it only went so far. "I'm alive," he said more to himself than anyone else.

"That's right," the woman said, flipping through the chart in her hand. "Consider yourself lucky, you have a couple of broken ribs and you sprained your wrist. You also lost a sufficient amount of blood of course." Had he been cut?"

He did not remember… he pulled the blankets away from his torso and lifted the shirt to see his chest wrapped up and the side stained with dry blood.

Could it have happened when Dosu slammed into him unexpectedly or when he hit the ground? How he ended up in the hospital was strange as well- he pushed the covers completely away and began to remove the needle.

"What are you doing, stop that Sasuke, you need to rest…" he ignored her and tried to clear her hand out of his way so he could finish prying the needle out. "Listen to me, you stupid man, Sakura is fine, she is with Kakashi and the others. Do you think they would let her get hurt?"

He looked up at her with a slightly parted mouth and wide eyes. "Hope-" she nodded and slapped his hand away from the needle.

"Yes, but I go by Tsunade around here so don't go around blurting out Hope. I gave Sakura the job at the Hospital because I thought I can find you and tell you she was here, Itachi of course got free a little sooner than I expected." She told him, pressing some buttons on the machine and giving him a stern look. "Anyway lie back down and get some rest. Kakashi contacted me yesterday to tell me that Sakura and the other have made it there so stop worrying."

"Are you going to tell me how I got from Orochimaru's lair to here?" he asked, groaned when he lifted sore legs back onto the bed and covered his waist.

"Certainly, I tracked you down, wasn't too hard, you're fairly easy to read."

"Thanks for that." he bit out sarcastically. "I'm not stay here any longer than I have to; I need to get back to Sakura." Almost dying knocked away another of his walls.

"I told you she was fine, didn't I? Anyway… you're being released tomorrow, I'm not Chief of Medicine for nothing," she said with a little pride in her voice. He smirked and lay back down.

"Okay expert, I want to know something." she looked back up at him, placing her clipboard under her arm. "How do I break my seal?"

"Why do you want to know?" she asked, looking around, doctors, nurses, patients walked the halls with friends or relatives. She looked back at Sasuke who looked thoughtful.

"I think with the seals broken we'd have an advantage," he told her, groaning and she pressed another button, upping his morphine. It was amazing how fast it worked, he closed his eyes, feeling tired suddenly.

"I have a theory… I think, I mean I believe that if you six were to let go of everything, I mean all your doubts and fears, all your emotions and get down to the primal source of your beings the seals would break. I'm not saying I'm against testing it, but I think it's rather hard to get to those feelings, I mean you've all multilayered over time, you know?"

"Itachi did it."

"Itachi has been sealed in the abyss for more than a thousand years, and his powers have never been sealed within himself. I guess you were in such a rush-"

"Stop it!" he snapped, not wanting to hear about his failures, bad memories, he should have never brought up that demon.

"You're a complex person Uchiha Sasuke, you have so many emotions burdened on your shoulders I don't know if you can even get back to your original feelings, and it's been a long time since you've been in Utopia."

"Maybe- I can't, but that doesn't mean I won't try. I'm tried," he said for the second time of his life. "So tired of dancing this dance." she smiled and he finally fell asleep. Uchiha Sasuke was an enigma if anything else. She had many theories on him, so many in fact she could write a book and probably have a best seller on her hands.

Shaking her head, she went to go finish her rounds so that she might go home and get some rest. She was going to see the others tomorrow after all. She wanted to see Sakura again too, imagine the look on the girl's face when she was face to face with the woman who hired to be Chief Resident.

She chuckled at the thought, maybe she should bring a camera, Haruno Sakura's face was bound to be priceless, she would like to cherish the moment so that she might have something to look back on and smile if things became too hard.

Who knows maybe this time around… the odds were in their favor.

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Did you guess that: 'he should have said good-bye to Sakura first' was my favorite line? And another thing, those quoted lines in the beginning of every chapter are hard to come by now a days, to match my story I mean… sheesh!


	8. VIII: Visions

**Disclaimer: I think this is one of those times to remind you all that I have no rightful claims on any of the Naruto characters I use so avidly. it is all in Kishimoto Masashi's great brain that these characters even exsist, so give thanks to your demi-god.**

**Special Thanks: Scarlett Fear, Laura-chan, runwithskizzers, UchihaSakura87, sasusakufaves, sharinganblossom212, deformed beauty, Uchiha Sasume, baby's breath, Silver Broken Wings, magma gecko, cweam and cheese, DarknessFlameWolf, Moiraine, karea wheeler-chan **

**Acknowledgments: AlexiaWinters:**** I had to do it, I promise I'll make it up to you! **

**A/N: I just want to thank you all for helping me reach ninty-eight reviews, you guys make me feel so special and check it out only four more days till I can update Fade Away. Oh the thrill!**

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_Monsters,_

_Demons..._

_They are nothing_

_compared to what's coming_

_-Lessons_

It was not as if she had been without him before, hell, the barely even knew each other and it was obvious to her that he barely even liked her. All he saw when he looked at her was a painful memory and a mission. Protect the vessel for Gabriel's soul.

She let out a heavy sigh, what a waste to think that she had to run from place to place under the care of strangers. "What are you doing out here?" she turned around to see Naruto heading her way, his hands in his pockets.

"Just thinking, it really nice out here." she said, listening to the leaves sway in the summer breeze that came rolling in. With the sun seated against some clouds, it provided a splay of shadows. It was still hot; August was all ready in effect.

"Kakashi just set out lunch, so if you want some." she shook her head and hiked her skirt up to her knees and stepped into the shallow, slightly murky pond water. Tadpoles swarmed around her ankles and skidded out of her path, the water sloshing about as she waded through.

He smiled at her and sat on the bench, watching her be one with the water, she did not know how to tap into Gabriel's power yet, but as soon as she did… oh, the things she could do. None of the other girls had done it, but that was because… drastic measures for drastic times.

Being a big hero sure made one tired. He could not wait until this was over; he had a feeling that this year was the year they were all waiting for, the year where they could sleep. He wanted so badly to rest, he felt as tired as the others did.

"I hate this…" he heard her whisper and he looked up. "I do not even know where Gabriel begins and I end, all you see is this clone of the girl you once knew and love. I liked being Sakura, you know. I liked being plain and boring, I really like my life on the fritz. I hate being a vessel for some dead angel's soul. I hate all the things… he…"

She stopped talking, bit her bottom lip and turned around and he could see the tears streaming down her face. She slapped a hand to her cheek and wiped them away, turning away. Naruto understood the loneliness Sakura felt.

She was more alone, everyone was treating her like she belonged in quarantine and unlike them she had to come to grip with her role in this world, her memory was wiped clean with every rebirth. He wanted to make things better for her. He was in love with her… or at least he was falling in love with her.

"I'm being stupid, and I suppose I owe you a debt of gratitude for saving my life." he stood up and lifted his hands to the swaying leaves and they suddenly came falling down and spiraled around her, then he made them rise and fall, his fingers working as if he were striking the keys of a piano.

She laughed and tried to catch one of the leaves, but he flicked it away and she could not repress the laughing bubbling through her.

She let her hand fall down and he brought two leaves together so they looked like the wings of a butterfly and he let it rest on her shoulder, flapping its wings slowly.

Green eyes locked with blue and he let the leaves fall down around her littering the water. She laughed through the tears in her eyes and waded back to the shore. He held out his hand for her and helped her back up. "That was… what was that?"

"Just something I can do, you can do it to only with water."

"No, I don't think so." she said, shaking her head and sitting down on the bench. Naruto sat next to her another soft wind playing through her tresses, she moved her hair over the curve of her neck, and it did not quite reach the base of her neck.

"I know it's hard to believe but if you could tap into or awaken Gabriel's power you could manipulate water and heal without medicines."

"Speaking of medicine that batch you made me really worked." she smiled at him and he reached out and touched her forehead.

"Yeah, you've cooled down, back to normal." he smiled back at her, moved his hand to her cheek, and ran the pad of his thumb across her cheekbone. They just stared at each other in silence.

"What are you think?" she asked, his eyes moving down to watch her lips part and form the words.

"Just how... I wish I could mend your world for you. I don't like seeing you so sad, Sakura-chan." her eyes widen a little at his sudden confession. She had not even noticed him, she was too absorbed in Sasuke and he was not as obvious as Rock Lee.

She blinked as he leaned closer, his nose tipping against hers, his hand moving lower so he could run his thumb along her lips. Her breathing hitched, surprised no memories of him and Gabriel were flooding into her mind. He leaned his face up and pressed his lips against hers, moving his thumb away to cup the back of her neck.

Her lips moved a little with his, but other than that she kept her eyes open and she pulled her face away. "I… I'm sorry Naruto, I… can't."

"Right, I'm so sorry." She could sense the reluctance as he dropped his hand away from the back of her neck, putting distance between them. "I guess you only have room for Sasuke in your heart." he closed his eyes and turned his body from his.

"I-"

"No, please don't think too much on it. I cannot… be Sasuke for you, you choose him because that means he has something I cannot give you. I do not think your reasoning has anything to do with Gabriel. I think this is your heart choosing. Don't worry about me, Sakura-chan, I'll live." he stroked her arm, got up and headed back towards the house. "Why don't you come and eat now?"

She watched the leaves floating along the water surface and bowed her head, the tears rolled down her cheek and she pushed her hands to her face, trying to keep the sounds of sobs out of her throat, she was failing. Why did this have to happen to her?

Sniffing she looked back at the skyline, the color changing from a bright blue to a pastel blue tinged with violet. She had been out for quiet a long time, well until the first star fading into the sky. She pushed herself to her feet and turned to see Hinata standing a couple of feet behind her.

"Hi." she said holding one of the bento that Kakashi brought because he preferred not to actually cook, he had a houseful of dogs he needed to care for… at least that was his excuse. "You've been out here all day," she observed quietly.

"Yes, I've been thinking a lot, you know, do you ever just want to be alone to think?" Sakura asked, taking the box lunch.

"Do you want me to go?" Hinata asked and Sakura looked down to see a Shakuhachi emerging from her pocket.

"No. Do you play?" she asked and Hinata looked down to see what Sakura was looking at, her hands pushed the flute back.

"Oh, just a little, it's… it is for meditation." she said, blushing prettily, opening the box lunch, Sakura patted the empty seat next to her. Shyly, Hinata took a step forward and sat next to her. "Would you like me to play something for you?"

"You wouldn't mind?"

"N-not at a-all, Sakura-chan," she said, pulling out the flute and bringing it to her lips. She closed her lavender eyes that reminded Sakura a little of Neji's eyes if he had black pupils. Her fingers closed over the first and fourth hollow and a soft sound came out, it was beautiful as the sound turned into a relaxing melody.

Sakura ate while Hinata played, her hair swaying in the night wind, mixing with the sound of the chirping crickets and the throaty call of the frogs. Sakura set the bento aside and closed her eyes. She could see things, nothing terrifying; everything was a burst of golden colors weaving together with vivid pink, dancing smoke.

"I think I must have heard this song before." Sakura muttered as Hinata continued playing. Sakura pressed her hand. "Once upon a time." she opened her eyes. "Have you ever been in love Hinata?" at the question, Hinata hit a false note.

"I- I… don't know." she set the flute down, rotating it in her hands at the question that made her stutter and hit a wrong note. "I think it was love, but I just don't bother."

"Why wouldn't you?" Sakura asked, pulling her legs up to her chest and staring up at the moon that illuminated the dark sky, midnight blue, reminding her of Sasuke's hair when the sun's light caught the tresses.

"Oh, he's always looking at someone else to notice me," she said averting her gaze, but tapping her fingers against the holes of the flute. Sakura put her hands over Hinata's hands.

"That's just impossible; no one is prettier than you, let alone me. I mean look at my hair."

"Look at my eyes."

"I think you have lovely eyes, my eyes are boring, and I couldn't get a guy to fall in love with me if I put a love spell on him."

"Oh, well, love spells don't actually work, that's messing with free will…"

"I was just exampling," she said laughing and bringing her hands back into her lap and Hinata smiled, put her flute back in her skirt pocket. "You should be more… outgoing, I know I'm the last person to be giving out love advice, lack of boyfriend and all, but I do know that you have to get their attention if you want them to look at you. Men are so frustrating." Hinata giggled, agreeing.

"Sakura-chan, I'm positive that when this is all over you'll finally find your soul mate."

"Soul mate huh, well after everything I've been through, I'm actually begging to believe their might actually such a thing." she sighed and leaned back, watching the stars, a group aligned with one shining bright in the center, the stars Hinata told her when she revealed that she was also Humility.

"You are in love with Sasuke-kun, huh?" Hinata asked, looking down at her hands, caressing the pads of her thumbs together. Sakura laughed, not aloud or exaggeratingly, she just laughed like a little song on her lips.

"He is handsome, but I sense something besides beauty, the way he loved Gabriel was indescribable. I don't think he could ever give me love like that."

"Sakura-chan love can never be displayed the same, I know Sasuke-kun cares about you, he's very protective of you." Sakura shook her head, looking back at the stars. "He drawn to you on a level that actually exceeds Gabriel, he just can't reach it yet, he hasn't mourned for Gabriel yet."

"He hasn't?" she could not believe that he had not yet mourned for the only woman he could see when he looked at Sakura. No, he did not love her. Their love for each other was innate because she was Gabriel's host and he was Michael.

"No, he wasn't allowed to the first time and since that time he just… he has to cry, be it alone or in the company of someone he trusts he has to… just let all the tears out, it's the only way he'll accept that Gabriel is dead and that it wasn't his fault."

"That's deep," she said, laughing to herself. "Does he really blame himself for what Itachi did?"

"He was assigned to teach her, to protect her so that she could become one of the Master's most important Angels, there are seven of them. Michael, Raphael, Uriel and Sariel, Ragual and Remiel and of course, Gabriel, who we believe was meant to also be a companion for Michael."

"A companion…" she trailed off, standing up. It sounded nice, someone made just for another person. She stretched her arms high above her head, tilting back as she let loose a yawn. She was tired; she spent all her time worrying about Sasuke's well-being. Worrying where he might be, "I'm going to bed, are you coming inside?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired myself."

Sakura pushed open the door; the light was still on in the kitchen, where Kakashi, a man with silver hair, sat with a dog in his lap while he read the newspaper. "Goodnight, girls,"

"Goodnight Kakashi-san." they said in unison, heading down the hall. They parted ways and Sakura walked into her room, switching on the lamplight. She flopped down on the bed hoping Hinata's song would stay with her so that her nightmares would not come after her.

She closed her eyes and buried her face in the pillow. She could not sleep, tired beyond knowledge, she just could not ease her mind. She was worried for Sasuke.

She did not know where he was, she wanted to know where he was. She fisted her hand and slapped it against the mattress rolling onto her back; she ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. His kiss stayed with her the longest, the one before he broke down.

That was grief, but apparently not mourning. There had been tears in his eyes and a strange swarm of black splotches had married his skin and his eyes had turned red, akin to… she shook her head. How was that not mourning?

He cried, of course he cried briefly and he was blaming himself perhaps that was the problem, he was still blaming himself. He had said he let Gabriel go, that he had killed her, not Itachi, who had delivered the blow.

She remembered seeing it, a glimpse of it, the hate he felt for his brother… some brother. She was crying, biting her thumbnail at the very thought of Sasuke's pain, he as apparently a tormented soul, his heart caught in his own purgatory. His own twisted idea of penance, his own malediction for a sin he believed he committed.

Maybe it was the doctor in her, but she wanted to take care of him, wanted to ease his burden, his suffering, but how could she do that when she was the one in danger. She did not care anymore, part of her thought she would surely die.

No one could save her; she would die at the hands of some man who had raped her in her dreams and showed her a world that haunted her.

She sat up and drew her legs close to her chest and rested her head on the tops of her knees. Obsidian eyes and blue-black hair and pale skin… he was a beautiful man, worthy of the title Angel. She tried to imagine him with wings, not as Michael, but as Uchiha Sasuke.

She missed him, closing her eyes, she finally felt the call of sleep and so she laid back down, hoping Sasuke was all right.

…

He was tossing against the car seat, restrained in the seatbelt. Sweat beaded along his brow and nape. He pressed both hands against his skull, gritting his teeth. Tsunade looked over at him, then back on the road. "Do you want to stop somewhere?"

"No… Let's just… get to the-" he cried out, the voice in his head was getting louder and all it said was:

It comes from the underground.

He knew the voice; it was his brother's, low and dark, a sickening chuckle. "I have to pull over to get more gas, I'll get you some water." he did not hear her; the voice was too loud in his head. He felt like a mental escapee.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" he pressed his fists hard against his eyes as if he were trying to push them out. She leaned over as he kicked his feet out.

"Stop it, you'll hurt yourself."

"Then make the voice stop," he rasped, panting as he squeezed his eyes shut. Sasuke dug his fingers into his stomach, feeling like he was going to throw up, though there was nothing in his stomach, the muscles in his stomach clenched together and he coughed.

"Don't ask me why I haven't been in jail yet." she reached back and pulled out a kit, she opened it up, took out a syringe, and jabbed it into his neck. "It's an anesthetic, calm down now," she whispered, smoothing back the forelocks that clung to his sweaty brow.

His body was beginning to numb and he was slowly loosing consciousness, the voice, thankfully was beginning to fade. How he hated that voice. Tsunade got out of the car as his eyes closed. He could see it all, the work done on the seal. It was not nearly complete; the circle filled with water like a canal.

Earth, air, fire, water and of course the spirit, the five essential elements, needed to summon Leviathan. Whatever it called itself now. He took deep calming breaths, the voice gone and his muscles relaxed. The vision as leaving him as well, they had three days left, nearly two.

Sasuke was already formulating a plan that even he did not think would be a hundred percent successful. He was going to get the others together, leave Sakura in the care of the Virtues and see if they could disrupt the summoning before it was too late.

He heard Tsunade return, she opened the door and handed him the bottle of water when he looked at her. "Are you going to tell me what it is you saw?"

"No." he said, unscrewing the cap and drowning down the clear flavorless liquid. The bottle was at the halfway point when he stopped, then he splashed some on his face and leaned back, his body completely numb now. He closed his eyes, not strong enough to fight against the drug that Tsunade had administered to him.

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**I know it's short, but I just wasn't feeling this chapter, it'll get better, next chapter I swear, when I reunite... eep, don't want to ruin the surprise.**


	9. IX: Wings

**This will be easy, I only have six people to thank for reviewing. I worked long and hard on this you guys, I hope I've made you proud, we're coming to the end soon.**

**Index of Characters:**

**Kakashi: The Virtue: Patience, he lives in a houseful of dogs.**

**Tsunade: The Virtue: Hope, she hired Sakura as soon as she realized who that Sakura was Gabriel.**

**Special thanks: baby's breath, Laura-chan, AlexiaWinters, Obfry, koolerthancool, kagome's heart102**

**A/N: I don't blame anyone for the low reviewing on the last chapter I wasn't feeling it, but I sure as hell know where I'm going with it and how it'll all end so of course, I hope I did you proud with this chapter... it is rather long. I also must celebrate for now being in five, count them, five C2s.**

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_Sleep now_

_Dream- of the ones who came before_

_They are calling_

_from across a distant shore_

_-Into the West_

He could hear a faraway voice, soft and low. It was his name on the feminine voice. It was coaxing him to open his eyes. Soon the voice was not faraway at all, he could hear the tears laced on the sweet voice, could feel the tears fall onto his shoulder, all his senses were awake, it was a matter of opening his eyes.

"Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun, please, open your eyes." It was Sakura and she was crying. He had to open his eyes for her if not for himself. Oh, but there was so much strain and he liked being in the void, he had never been there long, unconscious with no pain and no worry. "Why won't he open his eyes?" Sakura asked.

Someone answered, saying it had to do with the medicine in his system. He felt lightheaded but he had to try to open his eyes. "Sasuke-kun, please wake up." she cried, bowing her head over him, he could feel her hair touch his eyelashes.

Soft, she had such soft hair and he could smell the floral scent of jonquil. "Shut up." he ground out, furrowing his brows from the intense headache creeping up on him. "You… make me hurt even more." he did his best to get his hand out from under the covers and he reached out for her hand. She sniffed back her tears and slid her fingers over his hand and he closed his fingers around her hand.

She pressed her forehead to the knuckles of his hand and he could feel her tears run down his knuckles, in between his fingers and into his palm, so this was what it was like to catch someone's tears. He pushed himself into sitting position against her protests and the protests of his body. Sasuke wrapped his arm around her and held her close.

Sakura paled and pulled taut with tension, she did not know whether to hold him or stand perfectly still. She could not stand to see him run away again because she had been too brash, too forward with her need for him. He could see Naruto at the doorway. His friend turned away when Sasuke coaxed Sakura's arms around him.

"Are you okay, Tsunade-sama said that… you got in a fight and-"

"I'm fine, let's not talk about that… I want to apologize." her fingers were in his hair, stroking soothingly. "I'm sorry. There all's forgiven." he listened to her gulp of laughter and he pulled her closer, listening to the rhythm of her heart.

He pushed her back a little and she looked down at him, his eyes locked on hers for a few brief seconds before examining the room, hoping no one was around, he didn't see Naruto at the door anymore. "I have to protect you, it's my… responsibility." He tugged on her wrists until she fell onto the mattress, her thigh pressing against his knee.

"Sasuke-kun it's my fault I shouldn't have-" he kissed her, partly to shut her up she could be so annoying. He kissed her partly because her lips were so inviting, a pale pink, her bottom lip thicker than the upper, giving her an adorable pout.

Lifting her hand, she gingerly pressed her fingertips against his chin as if he would break under her touch or she would scare him away. Yes, he was scared; he was scared of giving himself over to someone who was not Gabriel. However, he was losing all that fear in her chaste kiss, her tentative embrace. He almost died… he would not die! "Sakura, don't worry about it anymore, okay?" she nodded as he brushed her hair back from her face.

She smiled at him and he came and kissed her on the cheek, kissed her on the other one. He almost died without doing this… feeling how soft she was how delicious she tasted under his lips. He smirked and kissed the silken eyelashes that smudged against her cheekbones and pulled back and started to get out of bed. She tried to hold him down, but he uncurled her fingers from around his shirt.

Sasuke's feet touched the cold hardwood floor and he stood, stretching his arms out. He wondered how long he had been under, for her to be begging him to open his eyes like that; he turned around and looked at her. "Was I out past the sixth day?" Sasuke asked and Sakura shook her head, either he did not or she did not know. He staggered a little in his walk, but he found his balance rather quickly and made his way outside the room and into the kitchen.

Neji, Kiba and Shikamaru sat at the table; a dog was in Kiba's lap, with white fur and brown patches on its ears. Sasuke sighed and found Naruto leaning back against the cabinets; Shino was on the floor, leaning against the wall near the door that led outside. "Itachi's almost done." He said walking in, ignoring the petulant pout on Naruto's face.

"How do you know?" Neji asked, leaning back in his chair, propping one elbow on the table so he could rest his cheek on his knuckles.

"Did you have a vision?" Shino asked, picking himself off the floor and pulling out a chair to sit down on, though he was more comfortable on the floor. Sasuke nodded, hiding his eyes in his hand. He rubbed his temple, pinching the skin at his forehead together before looking back at the five of them.

"The seal's almost complete?" Shikamaru wondered, scratching the back of his neck, muttering out a 'troublesome' that somehow lightened the mood from its simplicity. It was troublesome, if you paired it up with Hinata's dream, her vision, whatever it was she was calling it.

"Earth… air, fire and water and of course…"

"Spirit," Naruto interjected, sitting down finally, his arms folded over one another on the table, he was staring hard at Sasuke with those deep blue eyes that belied his anger with mirth. "So what does the seal look like?" Naruto was genuinely curious, but then he was by nature.

"They've funneled out the earth and filled it with water and they started making air-ducts." Sasuke said, closing his eyes, he was still feeling weak from whatever drug Tsunade had used on him, he could not remember. "They should be starting the fire soon after and then of course they need to find someone to be the spirit."

"So we should just storm in there and stop them before they have a chance to unleash Leviathan." Rock Lee interrupted, making his way into the kitchen.

"You're imposing, why don't you get out?"

"Don't be so hostile, Uchiha-san." the Virtue pulled out a chair and sat next to him, cracking his fingers in his fists with fire blazing in his eyes at the thought of swooping in and saving the day and of course Sakura with it.

Sasuke, himself, felt the urge to slam his head repeatedly against the table, anything to dull the pain that this flippant, over-zealous Virtue sprouted from his poetic mouth.

"Ow." Naruto said and Sasuke looked up, everyone in fact looked over at him.

"'Ow'?" Lee echoed, looking confused, but the others understood, because it was happening to them too. Neji pushed the chair away from him and stood, gripping the end of the table and bowing over it, his forehead meeting the tabletop.

"Shit!" Sasuke hissed, falling out of the chair and onto his knees.

"This is not a joke I like, I must ask that you refrain from such joking at once." Kiba's Anima, Akamaru, was yipping as Kiba pressed his hand down onto his shoulder, shaking and trying his best not to fall onto the floor. Shikamaru was grinding his teeth together, pressing harder into his shoulder so much that the bones in his fingers cracked.

Lee looked from Naruto to Shikamaru to Shino, Neji and Sasuke and Kiba. "Friends," he asked, looking at them and the pain etched on their faces. "Do you require assistance?"

"Just shut up, just fucking shut up!" Sasuke ground out, he was panting and grunting in pain, bunching the shirt in his hand, trying to get at the seal on his shoulder. There was no medicine to take. Nothing anything or anyone could do to relieve the pain; it had to pass on its own.

Sasuke landed hard on his ass, the pain was reclining, he lowered his head, his forelocks falling over his eyes and he sat there for a moment, needed a moment. "That… was bad." Naruto said pulling his hand out from under his collar and observing his hand smeared with blood.

Sasuke pulled his hand out and found that he too had bled from the mark on his shoulder. "Sasuke's right… Mammon or whatever he's calling himself… he's coming."

"What are we talking about?" Lee asked as Sasuke slapped his hand onto the seat of the chair and pulled himself up, of course he was right, why would he lie… he could not lie. He could be unsure, but he could not lie, that was the rub of being an angel.

"We're talking about Mammon. Remember him, from the last millennium?" Shikamaru flung out, recovering from the pain and staring down at his fingers coated with his own blood. "Just great and I already took a shower. This is becoming more of a drag every time we do this. I am so ending it this era."

Sasuke nodded, rubbing his hand against his dark blue shirt. Oh, his stomach churned when he tried to get up. "The summoning is almost done, Mammon's on his way and we need to think of a new location to move Sakura." Neji said, looking like he too, was going to lose his lunch.

"What about me?" they turned their gaze to the doorway where Sakura stood, holding onto the frame. Sasuke forced himself to his feet and pushed Lee back when the idiot tried to go to her. Sasuke took her by the shoulders and led her out of the kitchen hallway and back to the room he had just came from.

Sasuke closed the door behind them and closed his eyes, the sunlight seemed brighter in here, it hurt his head, made his eyes sting. Sakura asked him what was wrong, "Close the blinds, please." She moved away from him and he slid to the floor, his stomach churning again.

Sakura was back at his side, holding his arms; he pushed her off with as much ease as he could muster. He had been feeling sick since the vision, since after the fight, and now it doubled because of the burning and bleeding of his seal, it was not broken, just tormenting him and the others.

"You're bleeding, Sasuke-kun." she gasped and started to get up, but he pulled her down.

"Don't touch me," he warned, his stomach rotating like clothes in a dryer set on tumble. "Just sit here with me." He opened an eye, just a little, so that he could see the look on her face. She looked concerned and he liked it. He closed his eyes again and pressed his head to the door, moaning low.

He just needed to breathe, in and out, concentrate on just breathing. Sweat rolled down his brow. He did not like the feeling of it running down the bridge of his nose and onto his cheek; sticking there as if he was under the hot desert sun. "Kiss me," he said and she blinked, he could hear her lashes click together; it was strange that could hear it. "Don't touch me with anything but your lips," he instructed.

She took a few seconds to comprehend what he told her, but he had an idea, he would not share it, she was his after all, but he had an idea all the same. She braced her hands on the floor and leaned over him, softly she pressed her lips to his. He lifted his lips to make the connection complete.

It was nice, he liked kissing her, it made him feel cool, relaxed as if he were sitting under the shade with a tepid breeze kissing his skin and nipping at his hair playfully. It was the same as being in heaven, however faraway that time had been.

His stomach stopped churning, finally, and he could feel the blood on the back of his shoulder near his nape begin to dry up, it was just as he had predicted… she was healing him. Sakura did not know she was healing him, but he could feel the warm glow, it was lime green behind his eyes and it reminded him of the fresh, crisp grass he and Gabriel use to sit upon. He would like to do those things with Sakura.

Sasuke thought about them sitting in a field of wildflowers with her sitting between his legs, her cheek against his chest as he stroked her hair, inhaled her sweet fragrant. Slowly he cupped her face; she kept her hands on the floor just as he had told her.

Sasuke applied a little more pressure on her mouth, leaned into her, wanted to feel more of her. Primal, back to the source… things he had been thinking all along flooded his head; he had to get away from her. He broke the kiss, pushed himself to his feet, made his way into the bathroom, and locked the door behind him.

Sakura called out behind the door, knocked and he punched the door, heard her take a step back as he let his forehead touch the wooden door. He could taste the sweet jonquil and strawberries she had used to make herself smell pretty, could taste it on the back of his tongue.

He pushed all of his weight against the door and sighed, what he wanted from her was intense and wrong… she was wrong if she thought him pure, angel's were anything but, they could so easily be swayed, they just needed the right temptation. Sasuke knew for Itachi it had been power beyond power.

Sasuke would not use her for his own gain; he would rather suffer then hurt her or scare her just for his own purpose. Sasuke peeled his body away from the door, yanked off his shirt, and pulled off his boxers and pants. He threw them in a heap by the door and turned the water in the shower on.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry!" he heard Sakura say, but he ignored the muffled voice that called out to him. Sasuke stepped into the shower and shuddered as a barrage of tiny little freezing water droplets assaulted him. He shook his head and began washing off the crust of dried blood.

Sakura called out to him again before she gave up and he sighed, thankful that she did, one more time and damn the shower, he would have gone to her and pulled her against him and onto the bed and he would have fucked her until she couldn't move, until the only name she knew was his own.

Outside the bathroom door Sakura sat down on the bed, cradling her head in her hands, she did not know what she had done wrong, if she had done anything wrong. Was she suppose to touch him when he held her face in his hands, deepen the kiss? She did not know, if she did anything wrong she was sorry and she had apologized, but he ignored her, locked himself in the bathroom and slapped the door when she knocked.

He was taking a shower now, she hoped he was taking care of the blood that stained his shirt. She could not sit in here alone. She had sat by his bedside with him all the while he had been unconscious. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palm and sighed.

She scooted off the bed and pulled the blinds up, the glow of the sun was starting to go down, she liked nighttime around here, especially when the moon was big enough to light her way. She opened the window and the scent of lilacs filled the room, she wondered if Hinata would like to go out for a walk with her, maybe Tenten.

She pulled open the door and stepped out to find that the kitchen was now deserted, but she could hear voices and she stepped inside and looked to see Tsunade talking to Kakashi, the dogs were lying down at his feet, except for little Pakkun who was trotting through the grass, pulling at blades with his small, sharp teeth. She left the kitchen and headed down the hallway.

Lee was sleeping in the sofa while Neji and Tenten were softly talking to one another. She watched them for a moment and then moved on unnoticed; she went in search for Hinata and found her in conversation with Naruto on the front porch. So much for her little plan, she would have liked the company, after Sasuke had barricaded himself in the bathroom.

She got past them unnoticed and made her way down to the pond near the pathway where she had sat that night when Hinata played for her. She sat down on the bench, after dusting away some stray leaves; it was strange to see leaves falling in August.

The mornings had been hot and humid except for inside the house, but the nights were cool and peaceful and she liked the reflecting pond where Naruto had swirled the leaves around. He had told her she could do something like that with water. She flicked her fingers towards the water, but it only ripped with the sway of the breeze.

Leaning back on her hands she sighed and then inhaled deeply. The clouds roamed along the darkening sky, they were pulling together, turning dark as they gathered, she supposed that was why it was turning so cold, it was going to rain, the leaves shook on their branches, she looked about, wondering if Naruto and Hinata had seen her after all, but they were not there.

"Look at that, a shorn lamb, all alone." a voice said, that was not good, it was never good to hear voices that one… were not familiar and two… coming from nowhere she could see. "Trembling, is it the cold?" she stood, okay, time to go back to the house, only an idiot would stay out here when she was so clearly listening to a voice that sent unpleasant chills up her spine.

The voice was gruff and deep, clearly a man's voice. She shuddered, not from the voice, because that had stopped after his question, no she shuddered because it started to rain. She was not that far from the house. A body landed in front of her, bringing up dust from the impact of the fall.

She screamed and stumbled backwards, bracing with her hands as she fell onto the bench. He turned, he was dark haired but bandages obscured his face. Another body landed behind her and she looked to see a… was it a girl or a boy, the body structure declared man, the wide shoulders and the height, but the hair was long… maybe he liked long hair. "Strayed from the flock, eh, Haku."

"So it would seem, Zabuza." the other man, Zabuza chuckled, deep and throaty.

"Itachi wants you so _you_ Itachi will get, please don't resist, I don't want to have to hurt you." he pulled free a huge sword from behind his back. She took a deep breath and the other, Haku, came closer.

"No one is coming to save you." Haku said, reaching out and grabbing her wrist. She pulled back, instinct of course kicked in. "I won't hurt you, if you cooperate." he said, she could not tell his expression from behind that red and white mask, but he sounded sincere.

"Haku, your name belies your-" he was thrown to the side, a white blast of crackling electricity knocking him away. Haku's grip tightened on Sakura's wrist, his other hand wrapped around her waist, and he lifted her up and jumped back over the pond. She was amazed, but not surprised; she had been seeing a lot of weird things since she met Sasuke and the others, strange things since she met Itachi. He started it all; he was the first one to cut open her back…

It was strange now to think that she had pretty much healed up. "Let her go." It was Sasuke and Naruto. Naruto was holding something in his hand; it shone bright blue like a glass orb, swirling white and saxes-blue within. Relief washed over her, despite still being in someone arms, someone who wanted to take her to Itachi.

"What's wrong can't you-" He was jumped; it was the last thing Sakura saw. Haku put his hand against Sakura's eyes and everything went black, permanently.

Sasuke watched Sakura go limp in Haku's arms and he had the choice of course to help Naruto out or go to Sakura and get her away from one of his brother's lackeys. Kakashi seemed to make that decision for him. Sasuke had one thing on his mind: protect Sakura.

Haku pushed Sakura out of his arms and braced himself for Sasuke's attack, he ducked and Sasuke swiped air and took a blow to the ribs, he jumped back, coughing hard. Okay, that hurt. He tried again. He did not know how many times he would be trying. "Let me guess: Pride?"

"…Sloth."

"Sloth, huh, you move pretty fast with name like that." There was a lazy lift in his shoulders and he supposed the drawl in his speech could account for the languor, maybe he was Sloth after all. However, he moved like a fire on oil. "I have some advice for you."

Sloth looked up at him, listening and standing close to Sakura. "That's unusual, giving your enemy advice."

"How about a warning then, Sloth, get out of here with your buddy over there and leave Sakura alone and maybe… I won't have to kill you."

"You think you can kill me, Michael?" Sasuke's lip twisted at the sound of his praenomen, not a name anyone should be calling him unless that person was asking for it. He cast that name aside long ago with Gabriel's death; he would let them get away with it, but not this one.

"No, I don't think… I know!" Sasuke rushed at him, arm drawn back for a punch. His eyes turned blood red as his fist met the mask; it creaked under the pressure and fell asunder. Haku staggered and fell back, rolling to his right as Sasuke's fist came down, nailing the ground.

…

Sakura opened her eyes, felt the rain, not in separate little splats against her, no it was bathing her, a curtain of rain and darkness. Her heart started racing as she scrambled to her feet. Mud coated the front of her, it squished under feet, it soaked in through her shirt and her jeans, she wiped her face and it came off with ease as the rain took care of the rest.

Sakura took a couple of steps forward and tripped over something solid and heavy, but rolled with her all the same. She sat up, tears rolling down her cheek or it could have been the rainwater, but she knew she was crying, because the sobs fell from her mouth.

She peered in through the dark and could see a pair of brown eyes staring wide open at her. She screamed at the blood that ran from a cut on the cheek and down the mouth, at the gaping hole in the center of his chest. She pushed herself to her feet and started backing up.

This was what she was afraid of, dead bodies, rapist, and murderers. These were the real monsters; these things were what would damage her psyche. She remembered Sasuke had been there, Naruto too.

"Sasuke, Naruto!" she screamed, hoping one of them would hear her.

"Sakura- over here," Sakura ran over to where Sasuke wavered on unsteady legs. Middle ribs, right side- red with blood that mixed with the rainwater that fell angrily down from the heavens. He reached out for her as she met him, her hands grasping the fabric of his shirt at the shoulders.

Blood at his mouth- bright blood, the brightest in the whole body- leaked down to his chin as he spoke to her over the slapping of raindrops. "You really are the most annoying woman," Sasuke chided, coughing out blood that coated his teeth. "Look at all the trouble you've put me to."

She looked over at the dead body of Sloth, Sasuke had killed him in order to protect Sakura, again and Naruto and Zabuza were missing from the scene, Sasuke told her that Kakashi had gone after Zabuza too, but he did not know where they were.

"I'm sorry," she yelled over the pour of the rain, eyelashes fluttering rapidly to keep the rainwater out, she took his hands between hers and pressed a kiss to the red and bruised knuckles, sore from repeatedly punching. He nudged her hands away, cupped her face and pressed his lips against hers.

Oh, he was sorry too, for distancing himself, he had almost lost her again, she was hard to keep track of, once he thought he had her by his side she was off playing with danger. Sasuke did not think he would have to start killing so early into it, but he had killed before and he was doing what was necessary to protect Sakura.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, he pressed her closer, and she whimpered, pushing him away. She did not have to have a medical degree to know that he was severely injured. He looked down at her, eyes narrowed to keep out the rain.

"Sasuke-kun you're hurt." she told him and he pulled his hands away to survey his still bleeding torso. He looked back at her, took her hand, and pressed it against the wound.

"Then heal me," her eyes went wide as she shook her head. "You won't?"

"I can't!" she cried out, tugging her hand away vainly as he pressed her hand over the bleeding gash harder. She could not heal him, she did not have that kind of power, the power they all seemed to think she had. Gabriel had that power. His blood was warm, coating her hand, slippery and wet, like the rain, but the texture was so very different, she could feel his torn skin. She thought she would be sick.

"Yes, you can, I know you can, just think about how much you love me…" he whispered into her ear, making her blush. It was starting to get real cold out in the rain, his bones rattled with the cold, making him hurt all the more, she had healed him before, back in the bedroom, she only needed to do it again.

"Sasuke-kun." she could not help but lower her head and begin crying, but she missed as a green aura engulfed her hand, stitching his wound shut. It closed until his skin was a pale patch as if he had grown new skin, there was faint scarring, but it was hardly noticeable and there was no rise to the skin.

He bent low and pressed his lips back against hers, she looked up at him when he pulled away. He jerked his head for her to look at his side. "See… I told you that you could do it."

She let out a breathy laugh but stopped when he lifted her up, cradling her in his arms, taking them away from the waterlogged landscape, the mud stuck to the soles of his boots, squishing loudly with every step he took. "I can walk Sasuke-kun," she told him, wishing not to be a burden, he just smirked, pressing her a bit closer to his chest.

"Aa." he pressed his cheek to her forehead and she buried her face in the curve of his neck and shoulder. It was not long until they were back at the cottage; he let her down then and they removed their shoes before he took her hand, bringing her inside. No one was there and the lights were all off. "Strange… everyone's gone. Come on." he ushered her inside.

Everything was dark as if they turned off the lights before they left, Sasuke thought maybe they went off to help Naruto and if that was true then where were the Virtues… aside from Kakashi, whom he knew was out helping Naruto with Asmodeus. He could only hope that idiot was not getting himself killed, as far as he was concerned, their little pack still stood, this time vice versa.

Her hand tightened around his as he led her stumbling in the dark. He pushed open the door to her bedroom and turned the lamp on and a soft glow illuminated the room. "Are you okay?" she nodded. She was soaked thoroughly, leaving very little to the imagination, he tried his best to ignore it, but she looked so inviting, so cold.

He wanted to heat her up and he knew more than one way to go about doing so… he closed his eyes, pushing those thoughts aside, he was concerned with that looked on her face. She was not, thankfully, hurt, just stained with mud and sopping wet.

"I'm just worried about Naruto, shouldn't you go-"

"No. No one else is here so I have to stay and look after you." Sasuke walked over to the bathroom door and pushed it open. He clicked on the light and wiped his face with his hand. "You should get out of those wet clothes and take a hot bath so you don't get sick."

"What about you?" she asked, trembling from the cold.

"Do you require my assistance?" he gave a smirk that made her blush, he chuckled. "I was kidding, don't look so wide-eyed." he came over to her and cupped her face, bent to her level and pressed his lips to hers. He was doing that a lot lately, kissing her.

She was not complaining, on the contrary, she loved the contact of his lips- she loved him. He pulled back, his eyes darker than normal and his breathing just a little ragged. Sakura rose on her tiptoes to kiss him, her arms wrapping around his neck.

Sasuke pressed his hands to her waist, pulling her closer. Her lips were as chilled and wet as the rest of her, freezing and endlessly soft. The only sound between them was their breathing and the slapping of the rain against the roof and the window. He lifted her off her feet and swung her around lowering her onto the bed, not caring if the mud came off on his clothes, he was already soaked after all.

He disentangled her arms and knelt in front of her, untucking every single button of her blouse with minimal difficulty. His teeth clenched as he had trouble with the middle button. "Can you do it?" Sasuke looked up at her with a frustrated look, frowned, experienced enough so that he could undress a woman, but he had never felt this eager, this excited before.

He came up and kissed her brow then the center of her breast where the pale scar splotched her skin and then pushing down her blouse he kiss her shoulder. With the last button freed, he flung the shirt across the room, listened to it rumple against the floor in a haphazard heap.

When she could see his intense black eyes, her fingers traced the angles of his cheekbones, glided into his mass of thick wet hair and connected their lips. He traced his hands down her arms, her wrists, their fingers lacing together.

She drew in a shaky breath when she broke the kiss, her fingers fisting his shirt in her hands. He lifted his arms above his head as she pulled off his shirt. He could not help but smirk again with the way her guileless green eyes studied the muscles and definition of his smooth chest.

He had almost forgotten that she had never been with a man before; he tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed the shell. "Are you afraid of me?" He knew this would be the decisive moment, no matter what she said he knew she would very soon see him for what he truly was.

"No." Her answer did not really shock him, but it still made his chest fill with a sense of pride. He kissed her again, agonizingly slow. He began working on her jeans, releasing the button with greater ease then he yanked down the zipper, sliding the jeans down her thighs and legs, away from her feet with her perfect toes.

She had perfect bone structure and muscle tone, everything was taut, smooth, and soft, it was like a flawless beauty in a portrait. Of course, she was better than any painting. He bent her leg, as he looked over the injuries, he did not know she had, her jeans still in his hands.

He discarded them and kissed her scraped knee. She really did put him through a lot. He pressed between her knees and kissed her cheek, dragging his lips down to her throat. She let out another of her breathy laughs and she buried her face in his shoulder. "It tickles." she whispered.

Encouraged, he did it again, just to feel the shake of her laugh against him, then he dragged his mouth harder against her, tasting her neck, more serious, and her breathing grew strenuous and her hands more restless down his back. "Do you accept me?" He breathed the question against her neck and she arched against him as he worked on unclasping her bra.

She nodded slowly, her lips forming the word 'yes' that she could only breathe when his hand caressed lightly a sensitive part of her stomach, eliciting another of her breathy laughs and she involuntarily recoiled. She dropped to the bed and he climbed in after her, his hands peeling the wet nylon material of her bra away from her breasts.

Tentatively he moved to cup her breast, running his thumb over the luscious and pink nipple until it was erect then he bent low and covered it was his mouth, sucking until she was gasping, until her fingers threaded through his hair. He did the same to the other, pulling with his lip, nipping with his teeth and soothing with his tongue. She was moaning now, pressing him closer, wanting to hold onto the feeling.

He pulled away and pressed a kiss to her forehead and her brows and eyelashes, he kissed her cheeks, he kissed the tip of her nose, and even her chin was within his line of worship.

"I love you." He stopped… his breathing, his heart, his body they all stopped when she uttered those words in the glow of the lamplight and just the way she held his gaze and her lips parted softly told him that she meant it.

He had no other words for her except, "Tell me again."

"I love you."

Sakura accepted him, and she loved him and she was not frightened of him at all, nothing could be better, and for the first time everything was new and everything was right.

He leaned back to remove his jeans but she knocked away his hands, surprising him again as her fingers freed the button and dragged down the zipper, her hands in the waistband of his jeans and boxers.

He moved his legs out in front of him and lifted his hips in amusement of her impatience, he watched her rustle him out of them and held his breath, and she was looking him over the way he had looked her over.

Oh, how he wished he could read her mind. However, when she lifted her lashes to meet his gaze he could read her expression and knew she was pleased with what she saw.

He took her by the shoulders and pushed her back against the bed, her hair fanning out to color the white pillows. He dragged down the material of underwear and let them fall on the floor next to his pants. That wolf-like gaze of his tracing over her body, he pressed flat to her, his chest over hers.

She was beautiful and he told her so, his fingers tracing the sensuous curve of her lips. She smiled at him, one so radiant that he had to kiss her again. His fingers dug into her back and he lifted her slightly off the bed, she followed, determined not to break the kiss.

Her eyes were still open, because she wanted to see his face, wanted to see him and see what he was doing to her. His other hand came up and Sakura felt him brush his palm against her face, sliding from her temple to her eyelids, blocking out the light.

"Close your eyes." She did so and his hand cradled her cheek. "It's only for a while." he whispered, his voice low and gravelly, into her ear.

She nodded, not knowing why. His mouth brushed her temple, her cheek and her jaw. Her perfume invading his nostrils, she covered in the scent of strawberries and jonquil, an interesting yet pleasant mix. She bit into her bottom lip, trying not to make a sound as her fingers pressed harder against his shoulders as he pushed into her, sinking further as she lifted her legs, tears seeping free from her eyes tightly shut.

Sakura moved uncomfortably under his weight, trying to find an angle in which the pain would recede. She gasped and stilled, cradling him with her knees, her chest lifting and falling in short, staccato bursts.

Pressed against her, stomach to stomach, chest to chest, he waited. Because she was new to this and she was precious to him. Ardent and throbbing inside her, he would wait. A shiver tumbled through him, heaven-sent.

She made the soft, breathy moan he had been waiting for and lifted her hips, just a slight, feminine motion that was his downfall. He could not stop himself now; he pushed deeper, met her mouth and filled her with his tongue that caressed everything in her mouth: teeth, tongue, fleshy walls.

Sasuke was unwilling to spare even a tiny hollow, exploring her thoroughly. Her hands pressed against the side of his face and she pulled away, breathing hard. "Sa-Sas-Sasuke-kun-" she huffed as they moved together.

She made a low, keening moan that matched the agony shooting through his bloodstream. A flickering thought of death came with the pleasure of her, lustrous, wet, and hot against his skin.

Sweat beaded along her temple and the back of her neck as he framed her face, immobilizing her head for his kisses. "Sakura," he gasped, plunging, unable to stop, no desire to still. Her hips lifted again, taking him deeper. Oh, he wanted the feeling forever.

Holding back for so long, he had forgotten what he was missing. He nuzzled her neck and pulled out, inch by inch until he was almost completely out, only to plunge back in, because it wasn't right, not interlocked in her, not captured in a dance as old as time.

Suddenly she cried out. She sobbed, her eyes falling closed. Tears were coursing heedlessly down her cheeks. It curbed him, enough so that he slowed and combed his fingers through her hair. "What is it?" Caught between her pain and his own release, Sasuke tried to concentrate. "Am I hurting you?"

"Yes." she whispered, clutching at him and raising her hips against him continuously when he stilled, trying to make him move again. "Please, d-don't stop, I want to be yours." she lowered his face back to hers, kissing him and running her tongue along his teeth and over his tongue.

Sasuke kissed her back, moving, as she so desired. "Hold on just a moment longer," he told her, stroking her hair back from her face, pressing a kiss to her ear. She nodded, trying to keep her eyes open and that was when he knew that she was in foresight.

What she saw, he did not know, but he sought to soothe her. He was selfish at first, but now it was becoming about her, he wanted to touch all the right spots, wanted everything to feel good, and appease her when she begged him just to apply a little more pressure.

Sasuke did whatever Sakura asked of him, had to because her pleasure meant more to him than his own, more than life… he would die for her, if she commanded him to he would do it. Just to know that she was smiling. Sasuke brought her lips back to his for another kiss, held her close, moving inside her, making them one.

The sound of the rain mixed with their heavy pants, the soft creak of the bed under the weight of their conjoined bodies. He could feel her move inside him; their energies intertwined more than their bodies ever could. The energy wove and danced like some invisible thread, knotting, tying, and gliding in and out of him and her. He could feel it, his seal falling away, like ice and snow under the intense heat of the sun coming out for spring's disposal.

Color burst behind closed eyelids and he arched, when her climax triggered his own. His skin tore and blood flooded down his back and her hands slipped down to his ribs as he ground out a brutal cry and his wings shot forth, splotched with slick crimson, blood splattering against the walls of the room.

Her head tilted back, she let loose another muffled cry, and he pressed his hands to her face. "Shh… don't be afraid." Sasuke caressed her face and kissed away her tears. She reached up; he would not deny her, because she gave him more than what he sought. She gave him her love and her body, so he would allow her to touch his wings.

She took a slow caress; let the silver and gold-white hair fill the spaces of her fingers. Her lips took the shape of a small circle as tears continued to fill her eyes. She ran her hand over the ridge and bend of his wing then touched his face with tenderness, still she wept. His wings stretched and folded against her as he buried his face in her neck, listening to her uneven breaths and her soft cries. "Ego amo te." he whispered to her in Latin.

Sasuke was not lying, he loved her, she had become his everything in that one intimate act, he loved her from the first moment he laid eyes on her, and he loved her when she soothed away his own malediction. He loved her when she kissed him and told him that Gabriel would not hate him for letting himself love again. Oh, how he loved her.

She watched him; her own reasons for loving him reflected in those perfect green eyes, she was perfect. Haruno Sakura, Chief Resident of Medicine of Konohagakura Hospital. He loved her for her, not for being the vessel of the one he had loved before. He still loved Gabriel… he always would, but he loved Sakura as an individual being.

Sasuke watched her lashes flutter until she could no longer keep her eyes open, her demons quelled once again as she fell into a sweet slumber. With one last look at her beautiful, peaceful face, Sasuke rested his cheek against her breast and let her heartbeat lull him to sleep.

…

The first rays of the sun brought a white golden hue over the land and into the bedroom. Sasuke sat on a chair, already bathed and dressed, watching Sakura's lax form. The blankets covered from her thighs to her chest, one arm bent up, and fingers touching her cheek while the other stretched out over the side of the bed, both legs resting at the edge of bed, knees and ankles touching.

Sasuke's thumbs cradled his chin, his fingers woven together. He watched with dark eyes the rise and fall of her chest as she took in air through those slightly parted lips swollen from his deep kisses.

He had never seen her look so peaceful before, she was just intoxicating and pacifying. His cross was around her neck, he gave it to her when he woke that morning. Was this was what it was like to be in love again?

He could only stare at her and listen to her steady breathing. He wished he was still in bed with her, but her earlier fear had gotten to him.

He was worried about that idiot, last night was a perfect time for Sasuke and Sakura to be alone, but he still thought Naruto and the others should have been back sometime sooner.

The forceful opening of the door caught Sasuke's attention and he turned to see Naruto there, his name leaving the idiot's mouth in a burst. Sasuke lifted his hand and pressed his fingers to his lips, gesturing for Naruto to be quite, and then he got up from the chair when he caught Naruto gawking and quickly pushed him out of the room.

Sasuke closed the door behind him and Naruto blurted out, "What the fuck was that?"

"That was none of your business, the only thing about that you need to know is that I broke the seal." Naruto blinked those big, clueless eyes of his, his mouth agape. Sasuke walked past him and into the kitchen. He was hungry; he peeked into the living room and found everyone there, on the floor or on the sofa and couch, sleeping out their exhaustion.

Sasuke made his way to the fridge; he pulled it open and found nothing he liked, so he settled with a glass of milk, he then went in search for the honey, Naruto finally said something: "What are you talking about now?"


	10. X: Waking

**Forgive me, this took so long... of course I have all you to thank for your reviews.. I was just two reviews short of 130, but you gave me 8 C2's and that is awesome and I hit my 10000 mark yesterday and that was awesome too. **

**Special thanks: hound of drakness brother o..., Uchiha Sasume, kagome's heart102, Muchiru, cweam and cheese, AlexiaWinters, Tamiko-Chan81, koolerthancool, sharinganblossom212, Yomiko101, kattylin, Noodle-lub-Yooh, Angel Blossoms.**

**Acknowledgments: sleepykittycat: I just want to say that Sasuke already knew the distinction between the two souls, but I'm glad you liked it. Anything you can say about any chapter is fine with me.**

**Laura-chan: That's so nice that you had to read it more than once. I don't know anything about Latin, I confess, I looked it up and the winning words went down.**

**runwithskizzers: Did I mention yet how I want to stick you in my pocket and keep you? I always love your reviews, thank you, for every review you've given me.**

**baby's breath: I liked that part too, I wanted to show that his wings were so beautiful that it overwhelmed her. I am getting closer to the end, this story is such an effort, you don't know how much.**

**A/N: I'm thinking maybe three more chapters and I can finally hang up my hat with this story...we'll see. I'm tired and it's late, if I forgot anyone, I'm sorry.**

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_Mammon, the least erected Spirit that fell_

_From heav'n, for ev'n in heav'n his looks and thoughts_

_were always downward bent_

_-Paradise Lost_

Sakura woke. She did not wake into the world; she woke in a dream. She knew it to be a dream because she could see herself, standing on the edge of a sun-bleached crag.

She was wearing a white dress that wrapped tightly around her body, showing off her pale arms from the shoulders down and exposed her legs from her knees to her toes. She wore no shoes and her hair was in braids and threaded with small silver beads that gave her a regal look.

She watched as night devoured light and a swarm of screeching black winged things filled the sky. When they passed, the sky was red and she now stood in an endless blue sea, surging and breaking with every swell.

The moon was full and misted by black clouds, the wind sang to her, dancing across her face, everything smelled like sweet water.

She could feel the cold metal against her chest and she wondered what it was, she touched it, learned its shape and thought of Sasuke as she squeezed the cross between her fingers.

She took a step back and the water reclined she took a step forward and it rose, she decided walking away was the best way to make the dream end.

The water all but evaporated, leaving moist sand under her feet; she turned and met with the desert and the blowing of hot wind.

The sun stung her eyes like hot white gold. She lowered her head and the scenery was not the only thing to change. Her hair let loose and her dress changed too.

She wore a dress of black satin that tied around her neck and plunged down her chest exposing the scar between her breasts, exposing her arms, exposing her back, hugging her waist and reaching down past her toes. She checked to make sure the cross was still around her neck, it was.

Her name was on the wind, she swallowed and took a deep breath, the desert sky turning red as she stepped away as if to retreat to the cool dream she had left moments ago.

Suddenly she felt something crack and sink under her heel. She looked down to see that she was standing in someone's face, someone's skull.

All at once, the desert became a bone yard, the wind unearthing all the skulls and broken ribcages and other shattered bones that once structured the bodies. She could feel something next to her, invisible, touching her, reaching inside her body.

"Sakura…" it wasn't the wind anymore that carried that deep honeyed voice, she clutched the cross about her neck tighter as if it would shield her from anything and everything. She was not sure that love was enough to save her from her nightmares; he was always a step behind her.

Sakura believed in love, though she never had it until Sasuke, but she believed in evil the way little children believed in the Supreme Being.

Neither good nor evil conquered all, but evil cheated just a little more. She did not have to turn around to know that it was Itachi who was standing behind her.

Itachi slid his arms across both her shoulders, lowered her hand from the necklace, and took the cross between his fingers, learning its shape the way she had.

Pressing his body against hers, he whispered into her ear. "This means nothing, I had you first. You are mine, not his. Mine."

He released the cross and ran his hands across the back of her neck, playing his fingertips in the hollow of her collarbone, he turned her head towards his and she could see hell in his eyes, it was strange that it surprised her considering who he was.

Two things happened when he touched her, she was more aware of her existence than ever before and she felt as though she was dying inside. The contradiction was startling, how he made her feel those things all at once.

"I love the images you conjure up for me…" he turned his gaze and she followed back to the bones scattered all about, blood swelled until her dress floated and swayed. "All your fears, do you know how much knowledge is locked inside here."

Itachi brushed his fingers against her temple and smiled, devilishly. "All the secrets, how the world was created… how it'll end."

Itachi lowered his face over Sakura, letting her see his eyes, his unhappy eyes. His cold breath whispered over her skin, it made her shudder.

They were physically close enough to kiss, it should have been intimate, but it was not, to say it was frightening would be an understatement. No, her fear boiled over the way stew too long cooked would.

Everything began to change the blood faded until they were standing in a dark room with a hexagonal contour. There were no windows, no doorways, and no furniture nothing in the room to make it a room, perhaps a shrine from days long past.

She looked down at the floor and that was when she realized that not only had the scenery changed, but so did she. Her hair was unbound and wavy from the braids and the dress she wore, reflected in the sheen of the black marble floor, was silver and translucent.

Itachi had changed too; he wore a mesh shirt that hid none of his taut, hairless, muscular chest and black slacks tucked into tall black boots. There were no remnants of blood, nothing followed except the cross around her neck.

He leaned in against her, laid a surprisingly gentle kiss to the back of her neck; it made her shiver and want to pull away. "Talk to me, you never say anything." She did not reply. She wanted to get away from him out of the nightmare he claimed she conjured for him when it felt the other way.

The candles flickered to life and the shadows played across the pillars of the empty room. He kissed softly across the bare skin where the neck and shoulders met.

He turned her around and touched her sternum with the pads of his fingers, gently at first but as his look grew more serious he pushed harder and she could hear the bone crack, heard the skin and muscles tear. Blood leaked out and onto his disappearing fingers, blood, not bright red; it was a dark red, almost black in shade.

Sakura could feel Itachi's power, his darkness, and finally, at the end a void as cold and as empty as any evil. Sakura tried not to cry out, she opened her mouth on a silent scream and she closed her eyes.

Tears falling down her cheeks, he continued pushing in until his hand was around that thing inside her that represented Gabriel or was her soul… his hand was gone from the wrist up.

"What- what do you want from me?" she managed to say through broken gulps, gasps and cries. His eyes widen as if he was in awe as if to say: At last, she speaks.

"Nothing… everything… this…" She could feel his hand wrap around her heart, could feel it pulsate rhythmically into his hand. "It's warm and the color of spring, there are blues and greens and pinks… I want to turn it all black and cold, I want you to wear the crown, and I want you by my side… forever. Sharing all those secrets the Master concealed in you. Can't you feel our bond?"

She wanted to wake, and she wanted to do it soon, now if possible, his hand was in her chest. When was the last time she had a dream like this… how much time had passed since their second encounter when this same thing had happened to her, only that time she had been awake. "I can make this much worse for you, Sakura, I can taste your fear, and it's almost tangible. Come to me willingly, no one has to die if you come to me."

_Master… or slave? Slave… or master?_

That voice, she had heard it so long ago and not so long ago in the dream where Itachi had raped her. For some reason, though she did not understand the question, the voice itself, though haunting, brought her some comfort, like the smell of frash bread from her grandmother's oven.

It was strange to think of her grandmother now, what would that poor woman do if she learned what Sakura had been going through, more than likely she would throw her into a psychiatric ward. She belonged in an asylum, nothing made sense, not this certainly, the fact that she was alive.

_Wake up, Sakura…_

Sakura was floating in water, warm, warm water. It kept lapping over her breasts and dulling the pain that throbbed there where Itachi's hand had been.

Slowly, carefully she opened her eyes and saw Sasuke hovering over her; she looked down, watching as the water lapped over her by the force of his hand, taking away the blood. The wound slowly closed up on its own.

She met his midnight black eyes again. He was so beautiful it stopped her breath in her throat; it was strange that she was comfortable being naked around him.

His wings were gone, but she could remember them, the white gold and silver hair over the bend of wings that had scared her. She had been scared because it had overwhelmed her.

Never in her life had she believed in things like angels and such, but last night she had made love to one and he had been so beautiful, he was still beautiful nothing could change that.

Finding the will to move, breathe and talk she tried to sit up in the warm water. He pulled back, the water had cleaned away her blood and something else had healed the gash in her chest, but the black bruise tinged purple covered her scar.

She winced a little and he helped her lean against the marble slope of the tub. "I'm… sorry," he said, looking anywhere but at her, she leaned forward and took his hand, he found her gaze again and he touched her face with his other hand.

"What are you sorry about?" she asked squeezing his hand as she pulled her legs in close to her body, using the edge of the tub to cover the rest of her, she was starting to feel embarrassed that she was the only one without clothing on.

"There's nothing I can do about your dreams, I can't protect you from your nightmares." she pressed her forehead to his knuckles and shook her head and looked back at him.

"As long as you're always there to pull me out, there's nothing for you to apologize for, look," she leaned back and touched between her breasts and he looked for a second before looking into her eyes. "There's a nasty bruise, but other than that I'm completely healed."

"Are you in pain?"

"Just when I move." she pulled closer to the edge of the tub so that their faces were level. "What's wrong Sasuke-kun?" Hesitantly he reached down to touch her face. He moved his thumb soothingly across her cheek, back and forth, back and forth, studying her face with eyes filled with concern.

"Sakura, about last night… if I was too rough, if I scared you…"

"No, Sasuke-kun, you were very gentle with me…" she paused and blushed a little unable to hold his gaze when she said, "You were very beautiful." He chuckled and brought their noses close enough to touch and suddenly she kissed him.

Sakura's mouth was a warm softness against his. He pulled her as close to him as he could while minding her bruise, deepening the kiss with all the desperation and need he held for her.

Sasuke let every emotion floor him like a tidal wave drowning him. He wanted to beg her never to let him go. He broke the kiss, but kept his lips next to hers, his eyes barely opened, just watching the blur of her lips from the proximity.

"There's this place," he said softly the words breathed against her mouth. Her scent had changed in the water; vanilla and roses replaced jonquil and strawberries.

She was waiting for him to continue, her fingers pressed a little harder against his nape in her eagerness. "We call it the void. It's dark, but warm and comforting and there's no fear and no doubt and no pain."

"What is it?" she asked, her lips lifting and brushing against his as water ran down from the ends of her hair and onto his hands and down her back into the bathwater.

"It's a place where souls go to be reborn or go back to their current bodies. I had… I always wanted to stay there until… that is, until I met you, Haruno Sakura." he pressed his mouth against hers and she closed her eyes, he had a way of making her forget everything except him and her. The rest of the world could wait.

She whimpered when he pulled away. He was teasing her with the distance he put between them, his lips just out of reach of her own. "I want to stay here and finish this life with you. Please understand, I've only lived my life for one person, so this is hard for me," he then said something in a language she could not understand.

"What does that mean?" she wondered about the language she had never heard before and he smiled at her, holding her face in his hands, his eyes moving along the curve of her upper lip. He kissed her and she could care less what the last words were.

"It's Latin and it means I love you." he kissed her again, taking one hand from her face and reaching for the towel on the floor by his side. "And I do. Here, get out of the tub before the water turns cold." she tried to get out of the water, but her legs would not comply with what her brain was telling them to do.

Sasuke pulled her out, sat her on the edge, wrapped the towel around her, and lifted her up in his arms. He carried her back into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed.

He went to get her a tee shirt and jeans. She got her underwear on and through little whimpers she managed to get the jeans on and the tee shirt too.

Sasuke came back to her side when she got the shirt down over her stomach. He took her hand and kissed the knuckles. "I'm going to go see if Tsunade has something for your pain." she tightened her hold on his hand.

"No, stay with me, I don't want to be alone." he nodded and pried her fingers from over his hand and walked around the bed and got in with her.

She tucked in against his chest; she never liked the sounds of hearts beating but Sasuke's served to soothe her nerves. She blinked and tears fell from her eyes.

"You don't have to be scared Sakura, I know it's not much… but I'm here." She looked up at him and she shook her head.

"No, it is enough, that you're here with me, I love you." she buried her face in his chest, holding onto his shirt. He pushed her head back. "It's the sixth day isn't it?"

"I don't want you to think or worry about that, I know you're the center of all this mess, but I'm going to take care of you and Naruto and Neji and Shino along with everyone else, because you're important to us."

"You mean Gabriel-"

"No, I mean you, Haruno Sakura." he kissed her and she kissed him back, pressing her fingers to his cheek. She was happy… he was not running away from her and he loved her. He was kissing her and there were no memories of him and Gabriel, they were all gone as if she absorbed them all last night in his arms. "Get some rest."

She searched his face. "What if I have another nightmare?"

"Then… I'll be your lifeline." he kissed her as she leaned up, pressed against him, cupping his face and caressing his tongue along hers.

…

Naruto sat down by the lake; he did not know why he was feeling sorry for himself. It was not as if he did not know how Sakura and Sasuke felt about one another.

Written all over their faces were their true feelings, it was clear when they looked at each and they spent all their time worried about one another.

It was ridiculous to think that he even had the slightest chance with her. However, the blow was still direct and he could not help but wish that he were Sasuke instead.

He laughed and brought a leaf down on a couple of swivels and then let it hover in front of his face, it folded around itself crushing until it shredded and fell to the ground below. The color reminded him of Sakura's eyes.

Naruto looked to the ground where Sloth had fallen prey his body… gone. However, where he had landed the ground was charred and barren as if his blood had been acid and the traces when Sasuke's power burnt the earth when he brought the killing blow.

Naruto could not kill Asmodues, but he and Kakashi had managed to wound him so greatly that he lost use in both his arms and now the demon was probably back with Itachi, waiting for his pet Sin, who would not go to him.

Rebirth was for the next millennium; the more Sins wiped out the better the chance for them to protect Sakura was. There it was, everything drew back to her, of course, it did, everything was about her. It was all about her and the power inside her that was growing stronger and stronger, even with the sixth day upon them.

"N-Naruto…" a quiet, soft voice drew his attention away from his thoughts. He turned to see Hinata, such a shy and delicate girl: Humility. "Are you o-okay?" she wondered and came to his side. He sighed, bringing up a leg and wrapping his arms around the knee as he pressed the leg closer to his chest.

"I'm just a little jealous that's all, it'll pass," he said looking back at the water… everything reminded him of Sakura, how could it not, she was one with everything. Hinata moved a little closer until she was right by his side.

"What are you jealous of?" she wondered.

"It's stupid."

"Naruto-kun I'll listen, whatever you have to say…" he looked at her as if she had just lost her mind and then he started laughing, softly at first, just a breath of a chuckle and then it came out as a full blown laugh, he just sat there laughing at what she had just said to him.

"Oh come back, Hinata… I wasn't laughing _at_ you!" he promised when she started to head back to the house. She stopped and turned, her face a bright shade of red. She looked adorable in his honest opinion. She made her way back over to him.

Hinata looked pretty in her white shirt and black khakis, the sun made her hair a bright purple color. "Y-you sounded like you were laughing a-at me."

"Not at all, I was laughing… at the intensity in your voice. I am just jealous of Sasuke-teme… that is all. He's the favorite, he broke the seal… he has Sakura's love and I get to protect her from the sideline."

"Y-you're in love with her." it was not a question. It was a quiet observation. Naruto looked at her lavender eyes that reminded him of Neji.

"I'll get over it."

He looked back towards the water and sighed, he thought the water like his love for Sakura… flowing away from him. Heaven, hell and the world move on, it was fate and so… he had to let Sakura go… how could he hold onto her when she wanted nothing more than to belong to Sasuke?

"N-Naruto-kun… I-" she did not get to finish, one look into his azure eyes and the power of the earth shifting under their feet stopped her words. "W-what was that?"

"I think… Itachi is almost done with the seal."

"I had another dream," she informed him when the earth stilled, a flock of birds shot into the sky out of the trees after the quiver had ceased. "It was of a crown… there were… needles and it was meant for Sakura to wear… If she wears it…"

"What!" Naruto demanded.

"I-I-I don't know, she started changing b-but I-I woke up before I could see it all."

…

Itachi lifted his left hand and looked at it. "Can't you feel our bond?" he asked in a hollow voice to no one in particular.

Darkness was like a wave rising up to meet him, absolute darkness made up of every color that existed like a pool of oil, darkness made of every sight ever seen, every sigh, every scream since time began, the darkness before the light and before the Master.

That darkness was his and soon Sakura would be too.

He closed his bloody hand into a fist and stroked his other hand over Ino's head, over and over, on the warm silk of her golden hair. Her head was in his lap, her arms wrapped around his waist and her body wedged between his legs.

Itachi had drained her, needed to after his encounter with Sakura, the visions she sent him were exhilarating and enervating and when he had touched the glow inside her she had weakened his physical and his mental vitality.

Everything she dreamed for him was… he had no words for it, but her blood reconnected him to those dreams without the exertion. Sakura and Gabriel connected in ways the other girls had never connected to the angel. It was as if they had merged long before his brother and Sakura consummated their 'love'.

Now all he needed was the one girl, he did not have to remove the two sources; Gabriel was gone in Sakura the power now rightfully belonged to her and his power over Sakura was growing stronger yet.

Itachi felt Ino grab the hem of his shirt. "Let me," she whispered, tugging on his shirt, "let me taste her blood, I want to see what the big deal is," she breathed voicelessly, strong enough to move, but still a little weak from his consumption of her power.

Lifting his hand he brought his finger to her bottom lip, she looked up with cloudy blue eyes and opened her mouth, but he pulled away. She groaned; his face void of any emotion. She inclined her head a little, parting her lips again.

He pulled away and she grabbed his wrist, brought his finger to her mouth, and closed around the base, moving her tongue up and down and around his fingers, letting the blood move down her throat. She closed her eyes, assaulted by things she had never in her entire existence seen.

She opened her eyes only to have them fall shut again. She cut his finger with the serrated edges of her teeth and something euphoric overtook her with the mingle of his blood and the blood of Gabriel's vessel.

Itachi decided that she had enough and he pulled his hand away, his finger sliding out of her mouth, wet with her saliva and his blood.

Ino fell out of his lap and onto the marble floor, her hair fanned out to color the black floor. She lifted her arms and ran her fingers through her hair, licking her lips slowly. "What… what was that?" She asked, closing her eyes as if she could hang onto the images she had just seen.

"…the end." he got up, curious about the seal. Everything should be done by now and he wanted to make sure that the spirit was in the center of the seal to ensure the arrival of Leviathan. He left Ino on the floor with her revelation.

…

When Sakura woke, she began to adjust herself accordingly, and then realized that none of her limbs were where she expected them. Her arms folded under one of the pillows and her legs entwined in the sheets. She felt an arm around her waist, a chest pressed slightly to her back.

As Sakura moved, Sasuke shifted closer. _Gosh, his arms are heavy_. She thought as she tried to move her arms out from under the pillow and roll onto her back. She got her arms free and she moved onto her back, waking Sasuke in the process. He looked up at her, moving his legs against hers, feeling her bare skin against his.

She smiled at him and he smiled back, closing his eyes. Sasuke's naked body against hers kept her warm and felt so right against hers. He nestled closer, "How did you sleep?" he asked, drowsily. His hand came up from her chest and stroked her hair, moving the strands from over her eyes and cheek.

His breathing was slow and deep as if he was drifting back to sleep. She traced his face with her finger, moving from his cheek to his lips. "Better." she said as she caressed the seam of his lips. He lifted his lips and pressed a kiss to the tip of her finger.

After a couple of minutes he started kissing her neck, she closed her eyes, her brain still adrift in the fog of near-sleep. He came to her lips, pressed his body against hers as she rubbed her legs against his. He ran his hands over her curves to the small of her back pressing her closer.

She kept her eyes closed, floating between sleep and waking, savoring the heat of his skin and the smooth skin and taut muscles of his body. There was a fierce rap against the other side of the door stopping them in their actions. Sasuke sighed and made a face, pressing his forehead to hers.

"Hey, get out here, Sasuke!" Sakura watched Sasuke open his eyes and look at her.

"I suppose we have to get up sometime, but I promise when this is all over we'll have a day where all we do is lie in bed." she smiled at that and he kissed her before disentangling his arms and legs from hers. He rolled off the bed and pulled on his boxers and pants.

Sakura fished for her clothes turning to watch Sasuke pull his shirt on, the muscles in his back working. He had model-perfect looks, but then again he was an angel, something that took her a while to grasp then forced to accept it as completely true when wings shot out from his back, speckled with blood and plasma, synovia and lymph.

All of it melted away like water cleansing it, leaving nothing but shimmering glossy hairs and he was so beautiful. He made her feel so wonderful and safe. He turned around just as she got her shirt on and he held out his hand for hers. "Can you move?"

She wondered if he forgot how well she demonstrated her moving ability, but she simply nodded and took his hand, moving over the bed to stand next to him. Suddenly the earth shifted enough to shake the foundations of the house. Sakura fell against Sasuke and he held her, she looked up at him before complete darkness engulfed them.

"Sasuke-kun…?"

"I'm right here." he assured her and suddenly there was a silver glow, bringing light into the room. "Come on." He held fast to her hand and unlocked the door, coming face-to-face with Naruto.

"Something bad is happening, believe it."

"I believe it; we need to get Sakura out of here, now." Sasuke pulled Sakura out of the house, Naruto hot on their trail.

"The Virtues are gone, but the guys are outside and-" they stepped outside, but Naruto was unable to finish his sentence when the earth rolled again. Sasuke pulled Sakura out just as the roof caved in. Naruto jumped back and watched as the wall went down with it. A deep illuminating black light shot from the ground in a large circumference, it spewed like tentacles, turning whatever it touched dead.

"Something is coming, the earth is in pain." Shino said. Sasuke pushed Sakura behind him, his grip on her hand tightening. He was tense, his muscles flexing. Lightning flashed across the sky and now there was a tall longhaired man standing before the Seven Great Angels. Sakura's hand was beginning to hurt.

"Sasuke-kun…"

Sasuke pushed her backwards a little his back meeting her chin as if he were afraid to let her see beyond that. "Mammon." he snarled. She blinked, trying to wrest her hand from his, she swore that if he got any angrier and protective, Sasuke would break her hand.

"Oh, dear, I seem to have ruined the suspense with my appearance, were you expecting your brother?"

"Get the fuck out of here." Sasuke snapped, moving his arm to encircle Sakura's waist, releasing her hand. She rubbed her hand to soothe the aching bones and throbbing muscles.

"I'm surprised you're allowed to talk like that, I thought you were suppose to be mild-mannered, but then again you are the Angel of Fire… so is that her, the little treasure, I hear her blood can bring about the visions of the apocalypse. The very energy in her can actually conclude the end…"

"And I won't let that happen. So fuck off, go back to whatever dank, cold chasm you crawled out of and disappear."

"You're hurting my feelings, Sasuke-kun…"

"I don't give a fuck about your feelings." Mammon chuckled, bowing his head as the smile spread over his face, showing his teeth.

"Sakura-hime, I am Orochimaru, please come with me, Itachi-dono is waiting for you…" Sakura clung to Sasuke and he held her against him. "I see…" Naruto jumped at Orochimaru, the blue and white swirling orb in his hand. Orochimaru lifted his hand and Naruto became suspended in mid-air. "You wish to fly so badly?"

"Naruto-" Neji ran forward but suddenly there was a glowing blue metaphysical chain linking from Naruto to the other's even Sakura. They all fell. Sasuke almost landed on Sakura.

Sakura scrambled back in time, but Sasuke landed on her leg. She gripped at his shirtfront. Naruto was facing the others, standing on weak legs. Sakura watched as Orochimaru stood behind Naruto, his hands pressing to the reckless angel's back. "I give you wings then."

A bloodcurdling scream ripped from the back of his throat and out his mouth as Orochimaru plunged his hands into his back, arching back towards the demon Mammon, in the flash of light Sakura could see the blood soaking down Naruto's back, thick and wet.

No matter how tightly shut his eyes were, tears gushed down his face. Sakura watched as Orochimaru pulled out Naruto's wings. However, there was a reason the chain linked from Naruto to the others. Their wings ripped out as though invisible hands did the pulling.

Sakura felt the pull from her own back, tearing open her skin. She cried, but there was no pain, just a strange tugging sensation, she was crying from the look in Naruto's eyes, so dead as if he had betrayed her and Sasuke and the others gravely.

Sasuke curled in Sakura's lap, his wings stretching and ripping the back of his shirt. He gripped her around the stomach, both as a means to make sure she did not leave his grip and a source of comfort. She stroked his hair as she watched Naruto, his spine bowed as his wings finally came free.

Orochimaru then broke his wings, the snap sounded like lightning hitting the earth. Orochimaru stood back then and Naruto fell backwards onto the ground, falt on his back as his blood began soaking the grass. His breathing was slow and shallow. He moved his gaze down to watch Sakura.

Sakura screamed, unable to see his eyes, she thought he was dead. The thought of his kiss, how he created a dancing wind of leaves to cheer her up, he was a friend, he was dear to her. Power she did not know she had, power that did not belong to her surged through her. Orochimaru looked back at the pond, the water bubbled angrily as if a hot fire were boiling it.

It gulped and gurgled. He looked back at Sakura; a bright light of greens and pinks wash over her, so pale it appeared white. The water shot forward in the shape of giant hand and it engulfed Orochimaru. It sucked him down and he disappeared.

The light vanished and the regular glow of the moon came back. Sakura's eyes clouded over her lashes lowered and she fell back, exhausted. Sasuke tried to sit up, but he had none of the energy to do so. "Sakura…" just then someone jumped over to them, crouching low over Sasuke's face, "You."

"Yes, me," he moved away from Sasuke and put his arms under Sakura's body. "Come with me, Sakura-hime, you're so tired."

Sasuke grabbed his wrist. "Don't."

"And you, Sasuke… you're pathetic." He pulled Sakura out from under Sasuke, looking surprised. "She's so light, like a feather."

"Greed…" Sasuke warned.

"Sorry, the name's Sai. Don't worry Sasuke, this is your void… she's going to let you stay there forever. Goodnight, go to sleep." Darkness enveloped Sasuke then, because the pain was so real…

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This chapter I think was the hardest... I actually had to have a dream of the end to continue... I dreamed it last night, of course it was cooler in my dream, much scarier.


	11. XI: Changes

**Here it is the next chapter… I'm so proud of this chapter, I didn't think I was going to be able to write anything I liked but I liked the way it turned out.**

**Index of Characters:**

**Orochimaru: The demon Mammon, he broke his seal on the Seven Great Angels and freed their wings, but not without severely damaging the wings.**

**Sai: The sin: Greed, he was able to take Sakura away from Sasuke after Orochimaru had weakened Sakura when her powers converged with Gabriel's**

**A/N: I bet you're all finally tired of this story, so don't worry, its almost over than we can all stop clicking on it and I can stop worrying if its meeting standards.**

**Special Thanks: Tamiko-Chan81, sharinganblossom212, I play wid fir3, Laura-chan, kattylin, Yomiko101, kooloerthancool, kagome's heart102, AlexiaWinters**

**Acknowledgements: baby's breath: I would turn this into a book or movie, since I'm more of a visual person, if the characters weren't all ready pre-owned. Damn copyright laws…**

**runwithskizzers: See you always know the right things to say! You are one of the two people I anticipate reviews from, and even though you are probably way more busy than I am, I am always happy when you get a chance to voice your opinion.**

**And now without further delay…**

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_I am Alpha and Omega,_

_the beginning and the end,_

_the first and the last_

_-Revelation_

The wall ripped open spewing out miasma and Sai appeared out of the darkness with Sakura in his arms and stepped onto the marble floor. Temari came running up to him. "Wow, that's her." She said in awe, looking over the unconscious winged girl.

"It is." He shifted his arms and started down the dimly lit hall. Temari stayed put as he disappeared around the corner, she turned and ran towards Itachi's chamber. Sai pushed open a door and slipped inside. He walked over to the end of the room and set Sakura down on the floor.

He leaned her against the wall and grabbed the collar of her shirt and he ripped it, tore it down the middle and pulled it off her arms and body. He yanked the jeans hard and the button shot off, ricocheting and clicking against the marble floor.

He rustled the jeans off her then and tossed them aside. He sat back and reached for the black silk and he pulled it over her until her wings came out of the silk. The dress fell around her gracefully; he pulled the skirt down past her knees and shifted her down so that she was flat on her back.

Sai stood and looked down at the sleeping girl before he turned. He stepped back, a shudder running through him. Itachi was standing right in front of him. He had not even heard him come into the room; he was like a shadow moving across the walls.

"I knew you could do it, get out." Sai moved past him and stopped when he heard Itachi again. "Did you find it?"

"I did."

"Bring it to me in an hour." Sai nodded and left the way he came in. Itachi moved to Sakura, pressed the back of his hand to her arm, and then stroked his fingers down one of her wings. He remembered when his wings had been like that, he stroked the hair and the bend of the wing.

He pressed his hand to her face, his thumb pressing over her lips, stroking slowly. He tilted his head to the side and moved his hand down her face over the center of her neck until his hand pressed against her chest. Her chest rose slowly. He could feel the energy there, stronger than in their connecting dreams.

Oh, she was here and she was wonderful. "I am severely pissed; I'd like to kill her now, please!" Itachi looked over his shoulder watching as Mammon came stalking in. Itachi stood and turned to face the demon. He wore a cool gaze upon his handsome face.

"She's mine, touch her and I'll rip your arms off," he said in a steady, even voice. "And then I'll kill you. Test me Mammon; I know you're itching too." Orochimaru's lip curved and then he smiled, his golden eyes staring straight into the thick onyx of Itachi's irises.

"All right, I'll play nice. I think I'll go find my Watchers." he turned and left the room, Itachi turned back to Sakura and knelt at her side, moving onto his side to lie next to her. Whatever she was dreaming he decided he would let her have… after all everything was going to change when she woke.

Sakura looked so peaceful; the urge to torment her was strangely not present. He pulled her toward him so that her face was inches from his. There was so much innocence in her and so much power. If there was anything more compelling about her, it was the power.

He could feel it radiating through her like the pulse of life as he stroked her back between her wings and over the hairs as fine as silk. The seal was broken; she had coalesced with Gabriel. He had been hoping for a different reaction when that had happened but he figured he would take what he could get, now that everything was in order.

Leviathan did what needed doing. Sai had been an accomplice in that. Everything was falling into place. Apparently the old saying was right: If at first you do not succeed… cheat. His hand fell away as her wings began to retract. He held her hip as her wings stretched out then tucked against them selves and moved back within her body, the lacerations closing up both slowly and rapidly.

Her blood stained his fingers, fresh blood, the color of rubies, glittering in the firelight. He pressed his hands against her back and continued to look at her as the firelight cast shadows and amber over her face. He wondered what was going on in that clever mind, which was always working.

He pulled her against him, pressed her throat gently against his shoulder, he did not want to suffocate her while she was unconscious. It was different to have her physically close to him; he could feel her power flood through him. He closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek against hers, the power was like a live wire, jolting out electric shocks, only pleasant, not painful.

Her breath against his shoulder came out hot and cold consistently, but he could only concentrate on the surge of power. The knock on the door forced his eyes open; the black of his eyes had bled to bright red and then contracted to reveal a fan of obsidian.

With much reluctance to leave the power, he pulled away from Sakura and sat up; he moved his forelocks from his face before standing up. Time was a funny thing, when you thought you had it; it gave you the slip. He looked down at her; she was still in a deep sleep. He pushed against the wall, got to his feet, and made his way to the door.

He opened it to see Sai standing there with what he had been seeking since his and Sakura's first dream connection. "Take that to my room, set up a bed and leave it. Don't be there when I arrive." He closed the door.

It was so easy to have everyone do what he said, there was no one he feared and he was more powerful than any one would ever be, more powerful than the Master and soon… very soon now he would have Gabriel's power. The barrier between the two girls had long since been torn down.

…

The water was thick, cool and scented with roses. The sky was a soft gold color with wispy white clouds sailing along slowly. Sakura was waist deep in the fragrant water, she looked down and stared at the reflection in the water, it was her face, staring up at her.

Sakura stepped back, waves spreading out across the surface. The face rose, higher and higher until it broke the surface and then there was a body… her body and not her body. Strawberry blond hair, and lucid green eyes, a nose and lips in a heart shaped face.

A long curvy neck, slender arms that disappeared at the forearms and a torso, draped in a matching white top that Sakura was wearing. "Hello." she said, like an innocent child and even though she wore Sakura's face, she seemed to be so much younger than Sakura and she had wings, beautiful wings like Sasuke's wings. "Say, look at you. You look just like me. What's your name?"

"I'm Sakura." She smiled; a bright smile that was full of all the innocence of a child. She climbed out of the water and stood atop it as if she were standing on glass, she reached her hand out for Sakura's and she took her hand. "You're Gabriel… aren't you?"

"Yes." her green eyes shone brightly as she pulled Sakura up out of the water. The dress was never wet as if she had never been in water at all. Sakura looked into Gabriel's eyes; there was something different in the irises. It was silver, there was a silver circle surrounding the pupils.

It was so bizarre it was as if she was holding her twin sister's hand or something, if she had a twin. As soon as Sakura was standing atop the water, it turned to tall soft grass and they were standing in a meadow. "What are we doing here?" Sakura asked, looking around and lowering her hand.

"I'm waiting for Michael," she said turning around and then she took off, running through the meadow. Sakura took a step forward to follow her but she gasped when Gabriel transformed into a small girl, around maybe six years old. Her wings caught in the sun making the hairs seem shimmering gold.

Gabriel ran over to a wingless person in a long white and red robe, but it was all she could see, he was facing away from her. Gabriel held onto the back of the robe, hiding behind the cloth, fisting the material in her tiny hands as she peeked around the robe and Sakura could see a small boy with a mess of black hair, caught in a cowlick- Sasuke.

It was Sasuke as a small boy; he had the same dark eyes and the same placid look on his face and he was simply adorable, just as she figured… he was born with natural good looks. "Michael… this is Gabriel." the man introduced. Sasuke looked up and then back at Gabriel. "Come now, don't be so shy." he pushed gently on Gabriel's shoulder and she staggered forward. "Go on, say hello."

Gabriel huddled close to the man, "Hello."

"Hn," Sakura smiled, even then he was saying 'hn' suddenly Sasuke looked up and then stepped back as if he were nervous, but finally he spoke. "I- I could be the one to look after her sometimes… if you need someone to help look after her."

There was a laugh then and Sasuke looked embarrassed, he looked down at his feet, color washing over his face. "Yes, Michael you can take care of her for me that would be a great help. Remember though, she is very important." Sasuke nodded, he seemed to like the idea of have such a heavy responsibility.

Gabriel and the man faded and Sasuke grew tall and handsome and was now leaning against a wall next to a door and across that door Kiba stood, both of them had their arms crossed over their chests, Akamaru in his coat, his little head poking out. "So what are you going to do?" Kiba asked, turning his head in Sasuke's direction.

"What can I do? Keep an eye on him, I guess, and make sure he does not go anywhere near Gabriel. She's my responsibility."

"Doesn't help that you've fallen in love with her, Michael, does it?" Sasuke turned his head, looking wide-eyed at Kiba.

"What-?" He shut his mouth promptly and turned his head away. Kiba started laughing. He patted Akamaru on the head as he pushed away from the wall.

"There are times when I can't understand why we can't lie and wish we could, but then times like these I actually relish in the fact that we can't." Akamaru yipped and Kiba continued down the hall until he reached the corner and then he was gone. Sasuke slid down the wall and pulled his legs up to his chest once he was sitting down.

He had his face in his hands. Sakura looked around, down one end of the hall and then the other and then she approached Sasuke and knelt in front of him. "…Sasuke-kun? Hey, Sasuke-kun…?" He brought his hands over his ears and looked up, his eyes boring into her eyes.

Sakura smiled and reached out, touching his hair and moving down to his hand. His hands fell away from his face and he stood up, he passed her and looked down the hall and then the other side and he pushed open the door. Sakura followed.

The dimly lit room they stepped into seemed to be a bedroom with just the sunlight coming in through a small window high above. It was a beautiful room, the walls and floor were white and tiny candles surrounding the room reminded Sakura of the way incense sticks did in a prayer shrine.

There was a single four-poster bed adorn with white transparent drapes adorning the canopy. Sakura slipped in before Sasuke shut the door on her. She could touch him, but he did not even know she was there, it was strange that one moment Gabriel and she were talking, but Sasuke or rather Michael could not even see, feel or hear her.

She watched him approach the bed and pull back the drapes. He looked down at the sleeping form of Gabriel. Sasuke took a deep breath and then sat down on the edge of the bed. He was in love, it was in his eyes and his posture, even the way he breathed around her betrayed his feelings.

His hand reached out and moved her glossy hair from her face, stroking her cheek slowly, running his thumb along her lips. Gabriel moved in the bed and he stilled his hand. He bent over her and he pressed his mouth to hers. She woke, her eyes flew open and he pressed a little harder.

He squeezed hard on her wrist, she whimpered, and he crawled onto the bed straddling her hips. Sakura's hands came up to cover her mouth. She did not want to see this. Gabriel's free hand came up and around, raking through his dark hair. Sasuke released Gabriel's wrist so that he could get his shirt off over his head and his wings spread out, free from their confines.

Sasuke pulled Gabriel up and against his naked torso and pressed his lips to hers, his wings folding about her. Sakura shook her head; she did not want to see this. Even though the girl he was kissing looked just like her, she did not want to see this. She covered her eyes, begging her conscious to let her wake.

Her eyes opened, tears dripping from her lashes. She reached her hand up to wipe the tears away; it took her awhile to adjust to the darkness of the room and realize that she was no longer dreaming. The only light came from the center of the ceiling, shining the moonlight in, she could actually see the fullness of the moon.

It was beautiful, but she felt uneasy. Something had happened… she was suppose to be in front of Kakashi's house with Sasuke and the others… she should be checking on Naruto- Naruto! She sat up and pulled the blankets away from her waist, disentangling the dark satin sheets from her legs.

She looked up and recoiled back onto the bed, Itachi was standing in front of her, but leaning against the wall, arms at his side, head back, watching the light, thin clouds blanket the moon. He never seemed to smile and the few times she had seen him smile, it was more chilling then when his face remained emotionless. "You're finally awake. Now we can talk." Itachi's voice filled the room with whispers like tiny echoes.

Itachi pushed away from the wall and started to close the gap between them. He turned the unnerving blank face towards her; even his eyes were dead and empty. It was like looking at a finely chiseled statue. His face was perfectly blank, no expression, no play of emotions. He made a perfectly lovely statue, if a statue's eyes could glitter like onyx and if a statue could move in graceful strides.

She was supposed to hate him; she did hate him. All the things he did to her and she knew that Sasuke hated him for what he did to him, too. Itachi had killed Gabriel, unintentionally, but there had been no remorse in the killing. All there had been was a lust for power, new, stronger power.

Even though she hated him, she could not deny that he looked wonderful in the light. His skin was pale, but not too wan. He knelt in front of her and rested his hands against her knees over the silk of the black dress she was wearing.

She had not even noticed the change in clothes; someone had to have changed her from her jeans and shirt to this depressing yet elegant dress. She looked up from his hands to his face, still lovely to look at, but dangerous, always dangerous. He massaged her knees and thighs making her pull back; he followed her onto the bed and grabbed her wrists before she could slip off the bed.

"Lucifer." he smiled wide enough to show the vibrant white of his teeth. He laughed. His laughter was rich and thick, but he sobered quickly.

"Come closer, Sakura. What would you like? Just name it." he pulled her closer to him. Close until their legs fitted together like that of a jigsaw puzzle. Sakura kept her eyes on the mesh of his shirt. "It's the last time I'm asking."

"Let me go back to Sasuke-kun, I just want to be with Sasuke-kun." he stroked her wrists slowly and then moved one hand up to stroke her neck, a sigil glowed bright for a few minutes and then turned a faded black color and he released her arms. Black manacles attached to long chains fastened around her wrists and her neck.

"I would have given you anything you like, but I would never give you that… I have wanted you for so long and now- now I have you. Why would I give you up?" he cupped her face and kissed her hard and brazenly. He forced her mouth open and his tongue slid inside her mouth. He pushed her backwards until she was at a tilt.

His tongue caressed everything within her warm mouth, from the insides of her cheek to the back of her throat. She almost gagged, but he pulled back and bit into her lip until blood seeped from the tear he ripped into her bottom lip. He drank her blood down; she can hear the wet swallows of the muscle in his throat, retracting repeatedly to take down her blood.

Blood is life, but in her case, her blood could bring about the end and yet… he did not want to kill, he wanted to spread her blood like a plague, to bring the world to its quick end. Itachi pulled back and stroked her face. "Did you see it, did you feel it? Did you feel our bond?"

Sakura felt her stomach churn, could feel the warm slip of blood glide down to her chin. She shook her head, tears falling from her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. He licked his lips, drew them back into his mouth to clean them off, and swallowed slowly as if to savor the taste of her blood.

Itachi rubbed away her tears and licked off the blood on her lips and chin; he pulled back and pressed his fingernail against his bottom lip until he had blood soaking under his fingernail. He cupped her face and kissed her, again. He pushed his lip between her lips and even encouraged her to bite him.

His blood mingled with hers and slid down her throat, she tried not to swallow, the taste was metallic and the feel was hot. It seeped down her throat and he pushed her down until he pressed against her, crushing her ribs. She could not breathe and when she tried the blood slid down her throat. She thrashed beneath him.

As soon as his and her blood slid down her throat, she felt as though she was in a little noisy dark room, naked and ashamed. There were things in that dark room that had complete intent on hurting her… badly. Thousands of wiggling, short high-pitched screeching bugs slithering into her ears and crawling on the inside of her skull.

She knew… she knew that if the noise and the crawling would stop that she could remember how to get out. More blood poured down her throat and finally he pulled away. The world came back, and she found her hand plunged into Itachi's chest and his hand in her chest. Her arm transmitted a variety of green, blues, whites and pinks out of her and into him. His arm transferred the color of shadows into her. A strange, unidentifiable feeling filled her.

Everything felt dirty and the dirt was all over her, impossible to rinse away. Everything here was poison, everything that was Itachi's domain was acid. He smoothed his hand against her cheek. "Are you always crying? This is the moment of your life. I am inside you now, just the way you are inside me. Our bond is real. You should be grateful, happy."

He wrested her hand out of his chest and the blood fell on her like hot fire, blacker than any black she had ever seen… the primordial darkness. The wound closed up on itself until it appeared as though there had never been an injury.

His hand came out reluctantly and her wound closed up, healing muscles and bones, smearing crimson against her pale skin and dress, a gapping hole in the gown. "I have a gift for you… remember?" she shook her head, she would never want anything from him, she wanted Sasuke… where the fuck was Sasuke?

…

The sun was just coming over the horizon. Neji, Kiba and Shino stood side by side while Shikamaru healed Naruto's broken wings. Shikamaru sighed, remembering what it was like to have a broken wing; funny how some things followed you forever. Naruto cried out. "Ow. Ow! OW!" Naruto winced as Shikamaru stretched out the wing. The bones cracked, shifting, resetting.

Naruto turned around and punched Shikamaru in the face. Shikamaru fell back, instinct telling him to retaliate. He lunged at Naruto, grabbed him around the knees so that he fell to the grass and he crawled up and punched him in the face. He stood up and clapped his hands together as if to remove dust. "I only punched you because it hurt and that's what my gut told me to do."

"And I punched you back because you're a bothersome immature ass." he lifted his leg over Naruto and headed over to where the others stood, uncaring in Shikamaru's and Naruto's little bout. "Hit me… you ungrateful snot…" Shikamaru muttered under his breath.

"How is he?" Naruto asked, his wings gone now. They all looked from Naruto over to Sasuke who was sitting on the ground, one leg bent with both hands behind him. His eyes were lifeless, distant, staring at the patch of blood where he had bled when his wings ripped free.

"The same, still." Neji said, looking down at the Angel of Fire, whose motionless poise reminded him of a lifeless doll.

"It's been almost half an hour now." Shino said, moving his dark circular sunglasses higher up the bridge of his nose. Right before his current position, they had seen Sasuke say Sakura's name right before he rose to feet, only to stagger back onto the ground as he went catatonic. It had to be all too unreal for the Uchiha to see Sakura taken from him without as much as a fight.

"Sasuke-teme's going to be all right, isn't he?" Naruto asked, looking at the other four. Naruto was not good for standing around, he needed action, he was impulsive by nature, actions meant things were progressing; thought meant everything stayed at a standstill. There was nothing being done, nothing was happening; Naruto did not like it.

"I'm not even sure he's in there." Neji said, Naruto came closer and knelt in front of his best friend, his eyes were wet from unshed tears, not once in his entire existence had Naruto seen him like that. "Sasuke, can you hear me?" Neji called his name twice more with no response.

"…Teme? He can't just be brain dead; I mean he's still in there, somewhere, right?"

"Naruto, come on. We're not going to get Sakura back by standing around here." Shikamaru said, turning around and walking away.

"Oi! Where are you going? What about Sasuke?"

"Leave him, it's too troublesome."

Naruto looked back at Sasuke, waving his hand in front of Sasuke, trying to get his friend's eyes to follow the direction of his hand. "We should move him… unless we shouldn't. Should we?"

"That might make it worse." Kiba said tapping his wrist the sigil there glowing faintly. "Losing Sakura, after all he's been through, the war, remember? Then of course with the other girls… killing them so that Lucifer would not get her… his wing has been dipped in blood for so long now, he has had it harder than the rest of us have. I think it's finally broken his will and pushed him into some catatonic state."

"I'll snap him out of it, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders and started shaking him. "You stupid bastard, would you wake up, snap out of it. Sitting there like that isn't going to help us get Sakura-chan back!"

"Naruto," Neji's voice came out as a warning. He was always rushing into things… it was one of the reasons they were all bruised and bleeding, their wings free, but damaged. Naruto shook Sasuke harder. "We all ready tried that."

Naruto punched Sasuke in the face rather hard. Sasuke's head reared back and blood gushed from his nose and upper lip. Sasuke's head dropped back. "We didn't try that." Shino whispered as Neji pulled Naruto away from Sasuke.

"Hey, what are you trying to do, kill him? We could be dealing with some kind of psychosomatic damage." Naruto's mouth gapped open, looking beyond clueless. "Brain damage, I'm talking about brain damage, Raphael, try to keep up." Naruto grabbed Neji's hands and shoved himself away from the taller angel.

"I know what psycho-so-mantic is, _Ragual_."

"It's matic. Psychosomatic." Shikamaru corrected, shaking his head.

"What are we suppose to do then, we can't just leave him here… like that."

"Well, besides punching him in the face, what else haven't we tried?" Kiba asked, looking down at Sasuke as the blood poured heedlessly down his face and onto his pant leg.

"Wait… did you feel that?" Shino asked, pressing his hand to his forehead.

"Yeah… it felt like… when we first saw Sakura…" Shikamaru whispered, pressing his hand to his forehead as well. Something akin to a ballad, pretty words in Latin that sang of the glory of life and peacefulness of Utopia. Pale neon blue waves lapped over one another.

They closed their eyes, it felt like warm water was drowning them, but they could breathe under the water. They opened their eyes and looked to see Sasuke jolt, breathing fitfully. He looked up at the others. "Sasuke-teme," Naruto smiled and skidded to his knees in front Sasuke.

He was about to apologize for hitting Sasuke in the face and for letting Orochimaru take Sakura… but Sasuke looked about him and he pressed his lips together, his brows knitting together and his eyes liquid with tears. They slid down his face as he brought his fist up to wipe the semi-dry blood from his nose and mouth.

Tears fell from his eyes and he could not contain the sound of grief that escaped through his clenched teeth. Naruto reached a hand to Sasuke's shoulder. He was in pain because his blood brother was in agony. Women had a way of complicating things that men usually never found problematic.

Shikamaru sighed and crouched in front of Sasuke. "I know you're feeling guilty Sasuke, its normal because we've been on this mortal plane for so long, but you can't mourn for someone who isn't dead, we have to get Sakura back before… Itachi can turn earth into another level of hell."

Sasuke nodded, wiping the tears and blood from his face with his wrist and forearm. Sasuke's face hardened with determination and his eyes changed as he arched his back, the skin convulsing while his shoulder blades shifted under the skin to make room for his wings."

"Sasuke-" Naruto clasped his elbow and Sasuke shot him a dark look, the muscles and bones stilling.

"I know, damn the logics, but Sasuke, it is broad daylight and you know the law, even if the Master is sleeping, he still knows what you're up to. I really am warning you." Neji said, stepping back to let him see how serious he was and making room for Sasuke to challenge him.

"I just want her back, I won't let her die or be used by Itachi… not ever." Sasuke growled, baring his teeth.

"Then let's get her back, I think Naruto can open a portal." Naruto nodded and got to his feet.

"I haven't used one in days so… yeah, I can… but where are we supposed to go?" That was why Sasuke wanted to take to the skies. He did not know where they were supposed to go so scouting was better than taking off in a portal and wasting that one chance. Opening a gateway was a one-time deal for Sasuke, he could not do it again, not the way Naruto could.

"I know where Itachi is…" they all turned to see Choji. The Sin had been MIA for a few days now and all of a sudden, there he was, munching on a bag of cookies. "We better get going before he puts that crown on Gabriel."

"What crown?" Sasuke, Neji, Kiba and Shikamaru asked, except for Naruto. Hinata had told him of a crown that resembled a crescent aureole of metal and needles.

…

She stared at it; it was like something out of her worse dreams, a never before dreamt nightmare. "This is for you. Leviathan found it." Itachi held it out to her. Sakura reached for it and he let her take it.

"I… remember this." her eyes narrowed as she looked over the crown, it fell from her hands and he caught it before it fell to the floor. Sakura ignored his speed and stared intently at her finger, blood beaded the pad of the digit. She had pricked her finger on one of the sharp needles of the crown.

She dropped to her knees, the chains around her rattling, and her eyes still on the wet blood quickly drying. Itachi knelt in front of her. "It really was meant for you."

"I don't want it."

"I'm not giving you a choice." He said in a somber voice. Sakura looked up at him. Just like in the dream, he held the crown over her head. Real though, this was real. She could feel the pierce of the sharp, slender metal slip into her skin. _You will feel some slight pressure_. A doctor had said to her once when she gone for her first blood transfusion.

The pressure magnified as it broke the back of her skin; she could feel sweat and blood mingle under her thick hair. Suddenly she wished she did not have hair, the heat itched at her scalp, the pain was gruesome, unbearable. She reached out and grabbed his arms as he lifted the crown up to get the needles to the fat base of metal.

"Scream, Sakura, you have every right." he would love it if she screamed and she would not give him the sick sadistic satisfaction of her tears and shrieks. She pressed her nails into his arms, heard the wet tear of the skin from both his arms and her head.

At the top of her head, the needles sank in and she felt ill with the increasing pressure and wetness of her entire scalp, blood sliding down the back of her neck. Then he pressed the needles hard into the soft flesh of her temples and forehead. Her head fell back. Tears stained black under her eyes like running mascara.

Sakura had passed out from the shock. Shallow scratch marks appeared over her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose. A deep cut tore into her shoulder. The shadows were attacking her, decaying all that was good and innocent inside her. She was changing. Black soaked her hair until it was the color of ebony and grew long, over her shoulders and down to her back.

Itachi tilted her forward and her head snapped down, chin touching her collarbone. Slowly she lifted her head and her eyes opened, the green was gone, replaced by cold gray.

The color of her energy was gone, just how he wanted it and her power… amplified. He could hear her power like the beating of a drum, steady, foreboding. She was finally everything he wanted her to be. She was finally going to bring this world to its knees.

Her dead eyes stared into his as he cupped her face, reveling in her primal power, blatant, shining, and overwhelming. Her breathing was soft, steady; he could tell she was thinking, ideas flashed in her eyes. The knowledge inside her was no longer under lock and key.

She was like an open book, ready to spill all those secrets. Blood, tears and scratches marred her face, but she was still beautiful and he wanted her, more than he had ever wanted her before. "Don't close your eyes." he instructed as he bent to kiss her.

Slowly she responded, lifting her lips to kiss him in return. He pulled her forward so that she was sprawled atop him as he laid flat on his back, kissing her as her fingers glided up his stomach and chest to his shoulder. Her lackluster eyes stared into his. He could see a different kind of hell in her eyes, a new hell.

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**Just so you know, I adore you all and am happy to know that my story is getting read, If this was a book...**


	12. XII: Destiny

**If this chapter seems rushed, that's because it is. After this chapter there's only one chapter left, beacause honestly I'm tired of it, but don't worry about the last chapter I promise not to leave it half-ass, though it might take longer than you would expect for me to finish it.**

**Special Thanks: Laura-chan, Yomiko101, inuyashaHELP, Wolfgirl21, MistressBlossom, kagome's heart102, baby's breath, Tamiko-Chan81, koolerthancool, Katie Uchiha, kattylin, I play wid fir3, Cassie, anon, sleepingbunny **

Acknowledgements: UchihaSakura87: Okay I used my word count and that's 95 no's… you must be really upset, don't worry, it'll be okay.

runwithskizzers: What I love about your reviews is that you give me so much depth which makes me feel like you're really reading it.

AlexiaWinters: Answer to your question… yes.

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_It brought forth night:_

_The great night, the long night, the lowest night, the loftiest night,_

_The thick night, to be felt, the night to be touched, the night not to be seen, _

_The night ending in death._

_- Within Space_

Choji led the five Angels through the streets of the city. Life went on as normal, people shopped and gathered and did the mundane things of their everyday life. They were clueless, had no idea that they were in the middle of a war. Sasuke was hoping to keep it that way, keep humans out of the affair of higher beings.

With his head clouded with thoughts of Sakura, he looked behind him and then walked beside the Sin. "How long is this going to take?"

"Hey, I can't help it if your brother put up a blocking ward. Outside the city is as far as that blond idiot-"

"Hey! I heard that!"

"-could get us so we'll have to walk the rest of the way." Choji said looking from over his shoulder then back to Sasuke. Sasuke moved in front of Choji and everyone came to a halt, but moved closer so they could hear the conversation between the Sin and the Angel.

"Use your portal to get us there."

"I would like nothing better than to comply with that request, of course, that is, if I'm looking to die. Unfortunately, for you, I want to live and so you'll have to walk, we're almost there." Sasuke glared at the Sin as he brushed past him and started down the street.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, turned on his heel and continued walking. Naruto looked at Sasuke who was busy brooding. "Hey, Sasuke-teme, how are you feeling?" Sasuke turned his head and gave Naruto a confused look.

"What?"

"Well, I mean, you were all catatonic, not to long ago."

"I'm fine, stop worrying about me." Sasuke said in a sharp tone that cut like glass. Naruto sighed and lifted his arms, using his hands to cradle the back of his head as they walked along the street path that suddenly turned into a dirt path.

Naruto stopped as everyone kept walking; he gave a low whistle and looked at the desert sky. Naruto ran to where the others had stopped, at the edge of a cliff. He looked over the edge and saw a massive complex of walls, it formed a great labyrinth and around the walls several gigantic watchtowers stood, shadows clung to the walls and fallen angels were perched on the window ledges.

At the single gateway into the labyrinth, two towering statues of winged women wrapped by stone serpents stood facing each other their gaze cold and menacing. "End of the line."

"What does that mean?" Naruto asked looking over at Choji who seated himself down and pulled out a bag of chips, he pulled open the top and stuck his hand inside. He took a mouthful and started chewing. Sasuke looked around for a slope leading down to the labyrinth.

"It means I'm not going with you." The sound of wings tearing through skin brought everyone's attention to Sasuke who had summoned his wings.

"There's no other way down." He looked down the high steep and then jumped. Kiba gave a whoop, summoned his wings, and followed. Neji narrowed his eyes and with a heavy sigh, let his wings come free. Shikamaru and Shino said nothing but followed suit. Naruto looked down watching the others fall, flap their wings and continue down that long drop.

"Well, if there's no other way." Naruto hunched over and his wings shot forth, blood splattered the dusty ground and he looked down again and stepped off the cliff, just like they did in the cartoons he would watch and he dropped, using his wings as a means to keep him from plummeting.

Naruto watched his feet, only looking back up once. He felt a little sick and just as he saw the earth coming to meet him he bent his legs and hit the ground, tripped over his own feet and fell on his face.

"Stop playing around, Naruto." Neji said as Naruto rolled his face out of the sand and looked up, rubbing his swelling cheek. Sasuke looked up at the sky and frowned, in the sky they soared, flapping their black leather wings, scouting the skies.

"Only one way in…" Sasuke walked over to the wall and pressed his hand flat against the wall, it was not smooth, it was more like sharp glass, and it bit into his hand as he followed the wall to the statues they had seen earlier.

They came out of the walls like shadows, using hands and feet they jumped off the wall and down to the ground. Kin, Dosu, Zaku stood before the five of them. Sasuke smirked, his eyes changing slowly, red bled over black and three tomoe circled his pupils. "How are your arms?"

"Better than the rest of you will be in a few minutes."

"I doubt it, see I'm extremely pissed off, so you might want to get out of my way."

"You think you'll make it through the labyrinth? We're not the only ones blocking your path." Dosu said using his one uncovered eye to look up at the sky. Kin smiled and stepped forward, looking at the shimmering wings of each Angel.

She removed her vest revealing her chest bindings and she reached back and pressed the tips of her nails into her skin and tore the skin away and let it fall, blood flowed and spilled down as one wing shot forth then another and then two more.

Her wings stretched higher than Sasuke's could and she jumped into the air, Sasuke looked up and watched as she came rocketing down at an incredible speed bring up the wind with her. The markings of gold and ginger came swirling until they marred Sasuke skin black.

Sasuke lifted one arm and grabbed her fist and he took her wrist with his other hand and spun around, holding tightly to her. He let her go and she went flying back. Zaku came at him feet first and he knocked Sasuke back. Sasuke fell into Shino knocking him back.

Shino pushed Sasuke off. Jumping to his feet, and went running towards Zaku. He jumped into the air, grabbed Zaku by the throat, and knocked him to the ground. "Every earth is my earth." he made a sign in the barren ground and roots came shooting up. Shino jumped back and the roots wrapped around Zaku and lifted him into the air.

Zaku twisted and broke the hold. "I don't need both arms to kill you, one arm should be enough." He landed on his feet and used his active arm to tear open shirt and skin, breaking free four wings.

"Its not enough, I suggest you walk away now." Shino said in his monotone voice. Zaku lunged at him, using his arm and his legs consecutively. Shino jumped back, ducking and jumping out of the way of the. "It'll take more then this to beat me."

"Shut up and fight!" The blast came out of nowhere. It shot Shino back several feet back into the air; it tore through his wing, breaking the bone off at the bend. Shino hit the ground hard. "Get up!" Zaku shouted and he ran at Shino who pushed onto his knees, feet and then turned, from his face came blood and insects. They crawled out from his cheek and his broken wing. "What the hell…"

From behind, he could hear the screeching of bugs. He turned and then looked up at Kin who hovered in the sky, she nodded, but Sasuke caught the eye signal and jumped into the air. She reached for him and they fought in the sky. "I don't have time for any of you!" Sasuke said and he pulled back enough to get his legs out in front and he kicked her in the chest, she went flying back into the face of the cliff.

The rocks fell from the wall of the cliff and onto the ground. Sasuke turned away just in time to see the arms of Zaku fly off from his body. He smirked and dropped to the ground. He pushed the sole of his boot to the writhing Watcher. Blood slid down from his mouth, he coughed and Sasuke leaned low, applying more pressure to the Watchers throat.

"I thought you were supposed to be some supreme giant." Sasuke whispered darkly. "Make our lies harder, we flooded this world to cleanse it of your kind, but one of you hid away in a closed up cave, clever. I'm going to remedy this world of you." Sasuke pressed his foot a little harder against the larynx.

The ground began to tremble. Sasuke looked up, stepping away from the Watcher. The ground shook a little more. "Sasuke-teme…" Sasuke turned to look at Naruto.

"Sakura…" He took off, not with his wings; he retracted those and headed for the statues. He picked up his speed becoming a blur. However, he could feel a presence behind him. It was probably Dosu. He did not care. He shot through the entrance to the labyrinth before the shield could activate.

He took a right that led straight for a mile and then he came to a fork; the song moved through his mind, it was faint and no longer beautiful, but cold and chilling. He stopped when he came to gapping hole in the ground. It was a long drop, but here inside the walls he could not call his wings. Sasuke looked back and ran a few feet away before rushing forth.

Sasuke jumped over the crevasse, his foot broke a piece of the ledge and it went falling down. He waited and heard the sound of water. He looked around. He did not know which way to go and he could not see down here, all he could do was listen and sense.

…

The shadows clung to the black walls and the marble floor, scrambling closer, soft hissing voices close to her ear no matter how far the shadows were. Like snakes the shadows curled around his ankle first, turning to smoke as they curled around her bent knee, ghosting over her body and pressing into her cheek and disappearing as Itachi's mouth pressed against the pulse of her throat, he came up away from her neck, his ruby eyes meeting her steel gray stare.

He stared down at her for long seconds, staring down at her as if mesmerized by the way her body lay among the dark silk sheets, then his mouth settled against hers. The little crescent marks on his neck she marked him with filled with blood as she watched him kiss her.

He pried her legs apart with his knees and settled between her thighs, he pressed against her warm, wet opening and he tightened his grip on her hips, lifting them as he pushed into her until he could not go any further. The only response he received from her was the tightening grip of her fingers, nails sinking deeper into his shoulder blades.

He moved away to pull out and just as he was almost free he slammed back in, he wanted to hear her cry out, but she was reticent. He lifted his hand to her face, pushed her hair back from her neck, and fisted the glossy black strands. Her hair was darker than his was; the exact color of an empty night sky. "Scream for me."

She threw her head back opened her mouth and she screamed, he came down and pressed his mouth over hers, swallowing her screams. He moved his hands down to the back of her thighs and pressed her legs up. She shook her head and rolled her head to the side. "What do you see?"

"Someone's coming." she gasped as she pressed her hands against his shoulder blades and pulled them back under his skin. "A man… he looks a lot like you."

"Michael." Sakura pressed harder against his upper back. His wings came out breaking through the bone and muscles and out of the skin, they hovered above her, blocking out the silver moonlight. She ran her fingers down his spine to the small of his back, pushing his hips against hers.

He growled, a low sound coming from his chest. He withdrew from her and moved to grab his pants. He pulled them on and he parted the air creating a gateway. "Stay here." He stepped into the black opening and disappeared as the gateway closed up on itself and she closed her legs, the silk of her dress falling over her knees as she sat up against the bed.

Where could she go? He had her chained to his bed, locked in his room. Moonlight silvered the room, coloring it in a hundred different shades of gray, white and black. Her skin glowed white with the splay of the moon. The breezed crawled in through the window in the ceiling and she looked up and watched the dark clouds swallow up the light.

The voices were whispering to her again.

Kill-

They said.

Death-

They said.

She twitched her head to the side as if to remove the voices the way she would to remove water from her ears. She watched the door as a fine line of red traced the cracks that separated the door from the wall. The door opened silently and she watched as torchlight filled the room.

She moved onto her knees, falling onto her stomach and the front of her dress dipped low revealing her bruised cleavage, she crawled to the foot of the bed and pushed up her upper body, her shoulder lifting. The chains around her wrists and neck jingled.

Sakura watched the man step into the room and closed the door and she saw Lust standing behind him. Sakura tilted her head so that her cheek rubbed against her shoulder. "Come here." she commanded in a cold, flat voice and he did. She watched him, he moved in graceful strides.

"Sakura…?" he grabbed her face and she could feel the fire of his hands against her cold body. She closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against his hands. "What happened to you, what is this?"

"Sakura… is that me?" she asked as her lashes lifted and she watched Lust fold her arms across her chest, she had a dark look on her face. "Traitor." she said and Ino narrowed her eyes, her long lashes obscuring her blue irises. "Who are you?" She asked looking back at the man who called her Sakura. His eyes were dark like gasoline puddles. "You look like him, only younger." she moved onto her knees and pressed her hands against his.

She pressed down hard until she could feel every inch of bone under his skin. She listened as the bones shifted under the skin, pressing harder still, the bones cracking softly. "I could kill you. Make you empty. All spilled out. I am the Destroyer! Cracked earth and bones, the sun bleeding into the sky, I am the link that will snuff out all that is holy. Such is the will of the one I serve!" Her hand shot out and grabbed the man standing behind him by the throat.

Sasuke fell back and watched Sakura tighten her grip on his throat; blood began to slide out from under her fingers. "Rude! I was talking, Asmodeus." She rose until she was standing on her knees. His eyes widen and the bones cracked under her fingers and she dropped him like dead weight.

She drew her hand away and brought her hand to her mouth, her tongue licking at the hot red liquid on her hands, she then pressed her lips against the flat of her palm, sucking off the blood. She brought each finger into her mouth, closing her eyes as she cleaned the blood off. She lowered her hands and looked down at Sasuke, her lips smeared with someone elses blood.

"I could kill you, wrap my hands around your throat feel your neck break, just like him, as simple as that." she rubbed her cheek against her shoulder again and dragged her tongue along her lower lip.

"Sakura… what's wrong with you?"

"She's mine." Sasuke turned and so did Sakura; she dropped back against the bed, her legs out in front of her and her hands in her lap. She sat perfectly still like a beautiful china doll, eyes lifeless. Itachi stepped over to where the corpse of the demon laid, blood pouring out his neck.

Itachi brought his forefinger and middle finger to his lips, pressed a kiss to the tips then crouched in front of the demon and pressed his fingers to demons forehead, he whispered a soft incantation and the body erupted in black flames.

Itachi rose and made his way to Sakura and grabbed her roughly by the forearms, lifted her up and meshed her lips with his. There was nothing gentle about the kiss, but the way she responded to it made Sasuke seethe from deep inside. She grabbed the waistband of his pants and pressed him closer against her. Sasuke jumped to his feet and lunged at his brother.

Itachi barely blinked as he turned and grabbed Sasuke by the wrist snapped it and whirled him around, throwing him hard against the stone wall. Itachi caressed Sakura's face and he turned back to Sasuke who was struggling to his feet.

"Do you really think you can stop me? Did you think I sat down in that abyss you locked me away in and did nothing?"

"I sealed you." In his hands, a ball of crackling electricity sizzled and cracked. He rose and then ran at Itachi, he thrust his hand forward and Itachi looked up at him, indifferently. "And I'll do it again!"

"Not this time." he waved his hand in front of Sasuke, Sasuke went flying back, and this time he went through the wall. Itachi tromped after him, walking over the rumble of the broken wall. Someone grabbed Sakura from behind, hands on the crown where the flat piece of metal that cradled the back of her head was.

Sakura screamed out in pain as the needles receded from deep within. Fresh blood ran down the back of her neck and over her hair. She screamed again as the thicker needles retracted from her temples. The tiny needles hurt worse, her skin felt as though it were on fire.

Sweat and blood mixed and she collapsed back into strong arms. She tried to open her eyes as her hair turned back to strawberry blond. Her eyes were bright green again. The face she saw brought a smile to her lips. "Naruto… you're okay."

"Thanks to you, come on we have to get you out of here." Naruto broke the chains from the wall, got her from under the legs, and lifted her up off the bed.

Sakura struggled in his arms and shook her head. "No, I can't." Something was rolling inside her like a wave, tugging like a chain. She pushed on Naruto's shoulders, trying to get out of his hold.

"Sasuke told me to get you out of here. He can handle Itachi, he's done it before." That made her stop struggling, she looked up at him, blinking once.

"Sasuke-kun's here?" he narrowed his eyes, confusion written all over his face.

"Didn't you see him?"

"No. I saw Itachi." she pushed out of his arms and fell to her knees. She clung to the bed and climbed up. "He needs me." she climbed up the bed, slid off the other side, and crawled over to the hole in the wall. Naruto followed her as she grabbed onto the stone and peaked to see Sasuke engaged in battle with Itachi.

Sasuke was not faring too well. Itachi had Sasuke by the throat, holding him up into the air, then he drew his arm down so that his face was close to Sasuke's, his lips forming the word, "Weak." he tossed him up and Sasuke hit the ceiling.

"Sasuke-kun…!" She scrambled to her feet and Itachi turned just as Sasuke hit the floor, blood pouring from the gash at his brow and lip. Itachi headed for Sakura and she stepped back. She wanted to go to him, something inside her was telling her to go to him, but she loved Sasuke. Loved Sasuke and wanted Itachi.

Their bond… that bond he was always talking about, it was real, it was magnetic and it was strong. Naruto pulled Sakura back and she tripped over her feet and the rumble. Itachi swerved and Naruto whirled around to hit Itachi in the face. "Don't!" Sakura screamed as she watched him gather that swirling energy in his hand.

Itachi looked at Sakura and reached for Naruto's throat, he tightened his fingers against his throat. "No one is going to take you from me… I swear."

"NO!" she screamed as Sasuke knocked Itachi in the back of the head, steadied Naruto and both of them bolted towards Sakura. "No!" she cried as Sasuke gathered her in his arms and took off.

Sakura whimpered as they carried her out and away from Itachi. Tears rolled down her eyes as she clung tightly to Sasuke. Her fingers wove into his soft hair as she pressed her face to the warm junction of his neck.

Naruto slid out the window first and then took Sakura from Sasuke so he could get out the window too. Sasuke looked around, took Sakura, and moved her to sit by the wall. He pressed her back as a winged creature circled the sky. Naruto pushed against the wall a few feet away from Sasuke and Sakura, giving them space.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke asked, dragging his fingertip against her forehead, skin punctured and bleeding out from where the needles had injected deep in her head.

"I don't know… I have to go back." she looked about, her green eyes looked up at the sky, the clouds moved away from the moon and she could see more winged things flying about. "He needs me." she tried to move and he grabbed her wrists and pushed her back.

"Needs you… what is this?" her lips parted and she drew in a breath as she turned her eyes back to his handsome face. "What are you talking about? Itachi doesn't love you or care about you, he'll kill you if he sees fit to do it, he only wants another domain of hell."

"Sasuke-kun, he's inside me, all the time. I can feel him. He is looking for me. I am… I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'll die to protect you." he looked up as the clouds moved over the moon again. His eyes found hers again and he pressed his cheek to hers, his breath caressing her neck. "I love you." He moved over and brushed his lips along hers.

"Sasuke, let's go." Sasuke wrapped his arms around Sakura and lifted her up, her arms tightened around his neck and they headed down the opening. The corridor was darker then it had been inside Itachi's room or the fortification itself. Her legs throbbed and her head felt like it had split open.

"There's something in here." Sakura whispered softly.

"Dobe, wait." Naruto stopped and backed up against the wall. Sakura held her breath and could hear several things: the beating of three hearts, the wind and something else, something like the hissing, writhing and striking of a serpent.

"Leviathan," Sakura's voice was as soft as the twilight, she seemed certain of what was down the pathway, Sasuke feared that the woman he loved had changed gravely, maybe she would never again be the sweet, innocent, terrified girl he had met.

"We'll have to turn around." Sasuke did just as he suggested, but the entrance was gone replaced with a wall. "Fuck…" he cursed under his breath.

"The walls are not meant to keep people out, they're meant to hold souls in. That was why it was so easy to get in." Sakura explained, she was starting to remember things, once when the memories had bled into one they were now starting to separate.

"So forward it is then."

"If these walls weren't so damn high…" Naruto mumbled walking forward. They could not use their wings something was blocking that.

"Put me down Sasuke-kun, I can walk." his grip tightened around her knees and waist.

"You want to go back to him." It wasn't a question, he eyed her suspiciously as she bit her bottom lip and nodded. "I'm not letting you go back to him; my obligation is to the Master first, making you happy second."

"Sasuke-kun, please understand, it isn't love, its dependency… we have a bond." Sasuke set her down but held onto her forearms so that they were staring at one another. His grip was tight and painful as if he was angry with her, she could understand, it sounded like she would rather be with Itachi than him and it was partly true.

The further she got from Itachi the tighter that chain pulled, taut and strong as if it would snap her back to him. It felt like something she could not identify was swelling inside her and it was making her insane. She had to go, with Itachi, with the crown she felt like she was gone.

She did not have to worry about her grandmother or if Sasuke was all right or if anyone was getting hurt because of her. "I'm trying to understand, you said you loved me…" he came down close so that he could whisper in her ear. "We made love."

She closed her eyes and smiled, pressing her forehead to his neck. "And it was the moment of my life." she tilted her head up and pressed her lips to his neck, feeling the pulse there. "I love you so much… drown out this need, sever my bond with him."

"I will… I promise." he cupped her jaw and turned her face towards his and kissed her, with a kiss that practically stole her breath. She kissed him back and pulled away, licking her lips, his taste still there on the skin. She took his hands and interlocked their fingers. "Why can't you feel that way with me?"

"I don't know, do you think I like feeling this way?" he searched her with his eyes; it was as if he were staring through her. "What?"

"I don't know, some… thing… is different. Did you-"

"Sasuke-" Sasuke whirled around; his grip on Sakura's hand tightening as if he thought that if he turned his back on her she would run the other way. The wall turned to liquid and Ino stepped out.

"There you are, looking to get caught? Any further down and you'd just end up impaled on Leviathan's teeth."

"What do you want, Ino?"

"How about… Thank you, Ino, for helping me find Sakura-hime," she said Sakura's name as if it were acid in her mouth; she came closer to Sasuke and pressed her hand against his chest.

"So, now what…?" Sasuke asked, his grip tightening a little harder on Sakura's hand.

"Wouldn't you like to get out of this labyrinth?"

"Ino… your ulterior motives are showing." she lifted her brows at the statement a fine smile curving her pretty mouth and she looked over at Sakura.

"Now this is the look I know, except the hair is still long." She reached for a strand but Sasuke grabbed her wrist and knocked her hand back. "Touchy, not like she's yours, last I checked, she belonged to Lucifer." Sasuke narrowed his eyes as the moonlight spilled over her golden locks, making them brighter. "Come on, Sasuke-kun, if Gluttony can try to redeem himself, why can't I?"

"Get us out of here without another favor and maybe I'll believe you want redemption." Ino touched the wall, it rippled, and she stepped inside.

"That's just what I was doing, come on."

"Step into my parlor, said the spider to the fly." Naruto said as Sasuke stepped a foot inside. Sasuke stepped back out of the gateway and looked at Sakura and then Naruto.

"You think this is a trap."

"Only one way to find out, I don't think I want to take my chances with a giant Leviathan right now." He disappeared inside and Sasuke looked back at Sakura. He saw the look of doubt on her face, he squeezed her hand in a comforting gesture, and she looked up to meet his eyes. It was too late to say no and stay in the labyrinth because Naruto had rashly stepped into the portal.

"I'll keep you safe." Sasuke promised and he pulled her close, brushing his fingertips over the deep cuts of her forehead and temple, he smeared the blood off gently, careful not to apply more then a sweep of pressure to the bleeding gashes. The blood came away and he wiped his hands on his slacks, she smiled at him and he frowned.

"I trust you."

"Good…"

…

Sasuke and Sakura came out and stepped into the barren earth. Sasuke looked around and his gaze landed on the moon bright red with a faint ring around the circle. He looked back at Sakura and then found not only Naruto, but also everyone else, Neji, Shino, Shikamaru and Kiba, along with Hinata, Tenten, Tsunade, Kakashi, and Gluttony. Not too far away stood Greed with Envy, Wrath and Pride and Lust, Sasuke frowned.

"This isn't a trap Sasuke-kun, just fate, its where all the tangled threads led, to this moment, I don't really think I can be redeemed." Ino yelled over to him as the wind picked up. His tresses blowing in the wind, Sasuke peered past the Sins and saw Itachi, and he looked mad as hell.

Sasuke looked around again. "This place…" he said in a low voice that not even Sakura heard him. This was where it all started; it had been Itachi's sealing grounds and the place he had awakened after a thousand years. Sasuke remembered vividly of how he had locked his brother away, not the repeating method, but the first initial sealing, when Lucifel had killed Gabriel.

Sasuke looked at the others and noticed that Kiba looked to be the most enthused of them all, he turned to the others with a huge grin plastered on his face. "This is kind of like a showdown. You know, like those cowboys on TV have."

Naruto turned to look at Kiba down the line. "You think?"

"Yeah and it makes things interesting." Neji said, staring down where Itachi stood.

"So what does that mean, this is it the final battle?" Shino asked, hands deep in his pocket and left cheek donning a square white adhesive bandage.

"I think that's the summarized version of it." Shikamaru said with a heavy sigh, he lowered his head and closed his eyes as he ran an indignant hand over his dark hair. "You know, I wish life would just take it easy on me, all this fighting, it's too troublesome."

"Man, if I die… that's the one thing I'm going to miss… that constant complaining of yours." Kiba said as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Easy now, none of us are going to die, not without taking out a few of these Sins." Lee said with a dazzling smile. Sasuke smirked and turned to Sakura and cupped her face.

"Whatever happened back there with Itachi, I don't want you to worry about it, all right. I promised a life with you, I am going to keep that promise, and I will break whatever that bond is between you two. I love you."

"Sasuke-kun, please… don't die."

"Don't worry, smile for me," she did, but the smile did not quite meet her glistening emerald eyes. "Don't cry now, Lee's here with you to protect you and will stay with you until I seal away Itachi." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then another to her lips. He lingered there as if he was drinking from her. She held his hands and pulled back, remembering how she had hurt him. Remembering Itachi had snapped the wrist, the bruise over the skin a deep hue of black and purple.

"Sasuke-"

"I'm fine. I swear it." Sasuke rubbed her cheeks with his thumbs and smiled at her, it was such a beautiful smile, a smile she wanted to see on him all the time, but she couldn't help but remember what she had done and what she had said to him, she wanted so very much to apologize.

"I hurt you, I remember, I said such-" he kissed her, hard as if to steal her words this time. He remembered how she had killed Asmodeus as if it was nothing, the way his neck bled and the bones cracked. He never wanted to see her snuff out another life again.

"All in the past, I told you." he caressed her face and she closed her eyes, savoring his touch, praying silently that it wouldn't be the last time she felt his kiss or his hands against her skin. "Lee!" he called and the Virtue hurried his way. "Be well, Sakura…" He left her and she closed her eyes as Lee took up his position next to her, Hinata came with Lee.

"Are you ready, Michael?" Naruto asked, pressing his hands against his knuckles, the bones of his fingers popping. Sasuke looked over at his best friend and smirked, closing his eyes as a dark chuckle ripped through him.

"I'm ready, how about you scary-cat?" He opened his eyes revealing not the red eyes they had all grown accustom to, but two yellow irises and the white of the eyes now a muted black. The marks spread across his bare skin in deep blacks, like dark coiled ink.

"Sasuke…" Naruto's voice was hushed and they were all in shock at the new development of their brother. Naruto shook his head and ignored the change in his friend. "I'm not scared."

"Don't do anything too rash, Raphael." Neji warned.

"Ah, yes, voice of reason." Shikamaru said, rubbing the back of his neck and then expelling his wings. Coated with blood he flexed them, stretched them back and wondered if their opponents were strategizing or just waiting for them to attack first. Demons never did work well together.

Kiba still had that grin on his face, he tapped the sigil on his wrist and it glowed bright and Akamaru appeared, not as the tiny pup he had been when they were stationed at Kakashi's home, but a dog bigger than Kiba himself standing up, but reaching his waist when on all fours.

"Enough talk, let's do this thing." Kiba said and his wings drove out next. Akamaru let out a booming bark and Kiba ran his hand over the top of Akamaru's head, earning a low whine. "How's your wing, Uriel?"

Shino's wings burst forth, coated in blood, but the wing had mended, he flexed them twice and pushed his dark glasses higher. "They're feeling okay, Remiel." Sasuke, Naruto and Neji revealed their wings. Sakura watched, a deep feeling of anxiety washing over her. She was so afraid.

"Its okay, Sakura-chan, everything- everything is going to be okay." Hinata said in that shaky voice of hers, it was hard to trust her words when her voice shook like that. Sakura stared at the back Sasuke's head and she drew in a shaky breath. She then looked and saw Itachi, his wings were fanned out, dark and shimmering in the red glow of the moon.

Sasuke looked up at Itachi and frowned deeply. This time he would lock Itachi up for good… this time his no-good brother would not take Gabriel away from him. This time, Sasuke was going to live out that so-called happily ever after. And he was going to live it out with Sakura.

Part of him wanted to look back, get that one last look at the woman he had fallen in love with so quickly and not so quickly simultaneously. Maybe, Sai was right, and maybe Sakura was his void. He certainly hoped not. Have faith… that was always what the Master was saying, he couldn't afford distractions at the moment and Sakura was the biggest distraction.

Intoxicating, invigorating and unpredictable as well as predictable, he could always tell when she was about to cry. He was going to make sure, this time, she would only cry tears of joy. Final confrontation, brother versus brother, good against primordial evil. "Oh…" Naruto said as he watched Sasuke tighten his hands into fists. "Michael's got that look in his eyes."

Sasuke smirked and shut his eyes briefly and then as he opened his eyes again the yellow glow of his eyes flashed brightly. Lightning cracked across the dark sky bathed in red. It was the perfect atmosphere for a final battle.

"Leave Lucifer to me, he's mine…"

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**You're probably also wondering about Sakura... I didn't want to spend too much time on her darker character, because I want to end this story in thirteen chapters, so no I'm not going to go back and expand the darkness in her because frankly she wouldn't do too much, one I wanted to establish the bond she gained when Itachi transferred their auras and two, she would be like a doll, unresponsive and only lash out when she herself or Itachi were in immediate danger.**


	13. XIII: Exodus

**A/N: To everyone, I know what you're thinking: What the Fuck, it's about time! It's your own fault not giving me more reviews… okay that's a lie. I wanted to take a nice long break from this story. This is the last chapter and I intended to leave you disappointed. I want to thank everyone who read my story and everyone who submitted a review. Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times over. The End. **

**There are two new characters introduced, but I will not be putting up the index of characters for fear of spoiling it.**

**Warning: This story may be violently graphic and there's some major swears, cover your eyes if you must, but how will you read with your hand in your face?**

**And just a side note: This chapter was completed 04/22/07 but I wanted to put it up today, because it's my birthday so… happy birthday to ME!**

**Special Thanks: AlexiaWinters, Carebear Hater, Wolfgirl21, Katie Uchiha, Kagome's heart102, I play wid fir3, Laura-chan, Princess Ren, Baby's breath, The Angel Of Sincerity, hugsanimekisses04, Aikra-Chan, Yoiri-sama, Blue Ice Wolf, Lena ai yakata, kunoichikeiko13**

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Doomed to a fate

Sealed in red

Attempting destruction

Beauty, who turns the white rose into a sword

To dominate the Beast

-The Path of Dreams

Sakura often had a recurring dream when she was younger. Until now, she could not remember anything about the dream or ever even having it, but now- now she remembered. It started with an older version of her lying in a field, her long pink hair fanned out and coloring the otherwise green grass.

The sky was a soft purple veined with deep pinks more vivid than her hair and thin wispy clouds decorated the sky like a fine mist. Then a shadow would appear over her, too long to be a bird, but it had wings, huge curvature wings.

The sky would turn dark then, blood red patched with gray and the scenery would change as it often did in the dreams she had now. She would be standing atop a vortex of black and suddenly she would be wearing a crown of metal spikes embedded deep into her skull. Her hair and eyes changed, empty colors engulfing her until she was no longer Haruno Sakura.

Blue pulses of electricity would spider-web out of the vortex and off her body. All about her from every angle would be a necropolis of winged bodies. Impaled on long pikes, blood soaking their torso and their faces turned in her direction, their eyes hollowed out.

They would lift their arms up to her, reaching out their bleeding hands, liquid crimson, almost black would ooze from the eye sockets, noses, their gaping mouths would open and they began to speak in moaning, distorted voices.

"Gabriel-"

"Gabriel-"

"Kill-"

"Destroy-"

"Death-"

"Destroyer-"

"Reaper-"

The titles were endless. Blood splattered on her face, she would look up, causing the blood to rivulet down between her eyes, over her eyebrows, and clung to her long thick, dark lashes. Under her feet, fat, black scarabs, cockroaches, centipedes, flies, beetles, and fat white maggots would crawl out from inside the whirling mass and then wisps of shadows would swirl around her, icy brushes against her skin.

She could not move or speak. The eyes staring down at her, bottomless black eyes embedded in a beautiful stoic face enthralled her.

the impaled fallen Angels would call out. His unbound hair would sweep behind him on a slow air current, swaying against the tops of his shoulders. He was terrifying, but strangely calming, she wanted to be with him always.

"Gabriel, give me your powers."

his hand reached down for hers and she reached up for him, their fingers locking together. She would wake up screaming something horrible. She would scream and scream until the sun came up. The dreams went away one day when her grandmother put in a nightlight and ever since- even though she had forgotten the nightmare- she slept with the light on. 

Sakura fell to her knees and covered her eyes, shaking. "What is it Sakura-chan?" Lee asked, kneeling next to her and touching her arm.

"It's my fault… if Sasuke-kun dies… it's my fault." she moved her hands away from her eyes and looked up towards the sky, thick with ash colored clouds. They swarmed the dark sky like birds of prey, vicious leather winged demons with single-minded determination: kill six of the Seven Great Angels and all the Virtues.

Akamaru rode the sky lunging at the dark winged followers of Itachi and Kiba was not too far from the scene, engaged in battle with another winged creature. Except for Lee and Hinata, the Virtues were fighting on the ground, unable to take to the sky like the Angels. Faithfully, Zeal and Humility stayed by her side.

Sakura tried looking for Sasuke and Itachi up in the menacing blood red sky reflecting off the clouds, but she couldn't find them anywhere in the mass of black wings. She looked back over at Kiba, watched Akamaru stain his muzzle with the blood of his enemies, sinking his teeth into throats and tearing with claws, reaching deep and ripping out viscera, mainly hearts.

Sakura knew the secrets of the world. She only had to wear the crown once; open the floodgate and she knew everything that no human should know.

The only way to kill an angel- loyal or fallen- is to rip their still beating hearts out from their bodies.

She hated that voice. "Fucking shut up!" Sakura screamed, shutting her eyes and covering her ears with both hands pressed hard to her ears as if to block it out from the outside. She opened her eyes when she felt a vibration from within her head, a ripple of electric blue flashing in her mind's eye.

She opened her eyes just in time to see a swarm of fallen angels swarm and bombard Kiba. They took him by the arms and legs and tore off his wings. "Remiel…!" Lee yelled in disbelief. He stood up and watched as Kiba plummeted to the earth in great distress.

Blood rained out of the sky in pursuit of the wings and Kiba after the blood. Akamaru knocked the creature he was fighting away with his huge paw and turned quickly, going after his master. One of Kiba's wings hit the ground first, Kiba landed shortly after the second wing.

Sakura stared in horror as Kiba rolled onto his back and lifted his arms, destroying the ones who had torn off his wings and injured him just as Akamaru was coming down. Kiba sat up, his back soaking with thick clumps of blood dyeing his shirt red. Kiba winced, standing and nearly slipping in the puddle of his own blood.

Wrath stepped out of the thick of war-waging lesser demons and approached Kiba. Sakura fell on all fours as Gaara rushed Kiba. Akamaru came up behind the Sin attacking with teeth, tail and paws. Gaara got around each assault faster than the human eye could keep up with and jumped into a roundhouse kick and despite Akamaru's size and mass the dog went flying back, rolling against the ground until he skidded to a halt, leaving a trail of smeared blood.

Gaara met Kiba who was howling with outrage, he grabbed both of Kiba's fists, grinning the grin of a mad man, giddy with the smell and texture and sight of blood. In a flash, he lifted Kiba high, crushing his hands in his vice-like grasp, spun around quickly, and released Kiba.

Kiba went flying back further than Gaara had thrown him. Kiba hit the ground face first and was still for a few seconds, trying to regain his breathing and control the pain pulsating through his entire body. He spat up a mouthful of blood and wiped his mouth as he slowly rose to his knees.

A look of boredom suddenly flashed across Gaara's features. Kiba got to his feet and staggered forward, gradually picking up his speed as he made his way back towards Wrath. "Kiba…!" Sakura screamed over the rumble of thunder, watching helplessly as Gaara got his hands on Kiba's jaw. It was so quick that if she had blinked she would have missed the snap of Kiba's neck.

Gaara had nearly twisted Kiba's head clean off. Kiba fell like a rag doll and considered overkill even if Kiba was still alive Gaara stood over him, grabbed him by the shoulder of his jacket, and lifted him halfway off the ground. "No… no, Remiel… please…" Sakura whimpered as she watched; petrified.

He punched his hand into Kiba's chest, Kiba's eyes flew open, and his mouth hung wide and gapping. Blood oozed out of his mouth and from the hollow of his chest. Gaara had broken several ribs as he fished inside for the angel's heart. He grabbed the throbbing muscle in his hands and tugged. The sickening, heavy, wet, tearing, snapping sounds of vessels and valves around his heart were audible.

Out came the heart, it looked like a fist wrapped in blood. Gaara looked it over and crushed it before dropping it from his bloody hand. Sakura had seen a human heart before, but for some reason, maybe because she loved Kiba, she retched.

His body will merely return to the light.

She emptied and spilled everything and anything in her stomach until there was nothing left except saliva. She could hear Lee shaking with anger, listened to the cracking bone of his knuckles. Sakura panted, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Her stomach was still clenching and unclenching, but she had nothing left.

Hinata had her eyes covered, tears streaming down under her hands and making her cheeks shine. Akamaru happened to rouse then. When Wrath was gone, he limped over to his fallen master. He nuzzled Kiba in attempts to get him up; he licked him, licked the blood off his face and licked his wounds, whining lowly.

The giant white dog took Kiba's jacket sleeve between his teeth and shook him, but it did not wake him. Akamaru let out another low whine and fell, resting his large head over Kiba's stave in chest.

Tears made their way down Sakura's face, her heart broken. A blazing white light engulfed Akamaru, and he vanished. Specks of white blue lights swarmed around the mangled body of Kiba like a cloud of fireflies and Kiba turned to light and was gone. "Sakura-chan, you must forgive me."

Sakura looked up to see Lee, enraged, teeth ground together, fists shaking in little tremors, trembling with rage. "Lee-san…"

"I can no longer sit idly by on the sidelines and watch my friends fall into despair. Hinata-chan will stay with you." Sakura nodded slowly, understanding. Sakura grabbed onto Hinata, tucking the sobbing Virtue against her heart. She whimpered a soft prayer in Latin for Remiel, but so thick were her sobs that it came out as gibberish.

Sakura held her tightly in her embrace as if she were the one who needed protection. She watched Lee take off and she decided to speak the prayer for Hinata. Not long before Lee was swallowed up by the sea of foot soldiers the earth began to quake and though it shook the ground, no one ceased in sky or earth.

Earth-

Roots sprung up high, impaling one rogue angel at a time.

Shino-

Shino stood atop a hill rise, his head titled skyward, and his arms spread-eagle while his entire body surrounded by a soft green glow. Sakura stroked Hinata's hair as the Virtue continued to weep. Greed came up behind Shino but Kakashi was ready to defend the angel from Sai.

The voice was back in her head informing her on the death of Virtues and Angels.

Like a human, one mortal infliction.

Virtues could live forever but were in no ways immortal. The same went for hand in hand with a Sin. Sakura located Pride standing below Shikamaru, in her hands, she carried something akin to a giant blunt sword, but as she opened it into a half circle, Sakura realized that it was more like a giant metal fan.

Shikamaru was engaged in his own battle, killing left and right, dropping turncoat angels like flies. He fell when Temari threw the fan high and hooked Shikamaru in the ankle. Before she could manage an attack, Lee countered her. She went flying back from his double spin kick; she went tumbling back, rolling on the ground.

The earth shook again but not for Shino, but for something else entirely.

The ground heaved under Sakura and the sound of thunder struck her ears with such a blow that she cried out in pain. A web of bright light appeared as lightening danced through the sky. The ground shuddered again, this time more fiercely.

It moved like water under the ground and when Sakura touched the dry earth, she could feel such power, so dark that it filled her and sang to her, rippling through her. She pulled away and wrapped her arms around Hinata, who was now watching along with Sakura.

Sakura stared at a particular circle of demons, watched shadows up towards the sky. Tears streamed down her face and the earth shattered and out from underneath rose Leviathan, a brute of a snake with scales the color of plums with Orochimaru atop his frightening head.

Orochimaru jumped down and joined the battle, facing off with Tsunade. "A woman shouldn't be on the battlefield at least a battle of this magnitude."

"You disappoint me Mammon; I thought you were afraid of nothing." She rushed at him with powerful kicks and punches, some he successfully evade, others caught him in the face, stomach or legs. She skidded under him and he lost his footing, but he flipped around and landed back on his feet. It carried on like that for a good while, but it seemed as though Orochimaru was just humoring her.

He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her feet off the ground. They came from his back like tentacles black and misty, they rose slowly, rising, hissing and striking. They came into the killing field, but something happened no one was expecting.

A hand shot up from under the ground, grabbed Orochimaru by the ankle, and yanked hard. "Hey! Not the way to treat a lady!" Then with a heavy swing of the arm Orochimaru went flying back into the sky, Leviathan shot forward and Orochimaru landed gracefully.

"Well, it's about time you showed up. Stop fooling around and lend us a hand, Jiraiya."

"I thought I had, you know, getting Mammon off your back." He gave a booming laugh then, his long white hair cascading further down his back as he tilted his head up. Suddenly a huge wave threw him back and Kankuro jumped down. A human size doll fell to his hands and feet and moved much like a crawling spider through the battlegrounds.

Sakura looked up into the sky and saw them. Sasuke engaged in an unyielding battle with Itachi. Sakura barley recognized him, his skin marred with black tildes. She rose from the earth and felt something writhe deep inside her. She turned to see Leviathan headed in her and Hinata's direction. Faster than lightening, the giant beast came shooting at them. Its mouth opened, fangs dripping with venom.

Sakura watched unflinching as it came closer. Suddenly a rise of blazing red caught her eyes. She looked up and saw Naruto shooting down like a burning star. She watched him, take a sharp curve and fly straight into the demon beast's mouth.

Leviathan exploded from the sides, internal organs splaying out in boulder size clumps. He dropped head first, head rolling to the side, throwing Orochimaru off. Hinata screamed and scrambled to her feet and pushed Sakura back, with such a force that she knocked her to the ground when she tired to hold her back.

Naruto exited through the tail and into the ground, melting it and creating a deep funnel. He climbed out just as the rain began to fall. Fire ignited the snake corpse and thick, black smoke rose up into the sky. Naruto turned around just in time to receive a punch in the face. He fell to the ground at a sharp distance and he took a second to rise.

He spit out blood and wiped his mouth; he narrowed his eyes and rushed back at Orochimaru. He arched his wings and jumped into the air, his body glowing with that deep red aura. He drew his arm back, but before he could deliver the counter punch, Orochimaru grabbed him by the fist and tightened his hold.

Naruto's hand began to bleed, the bones breaking under the skin, jutting out. Naruto snarled and pulled his other hand back, but this time Orochimaru summoned a vibrant purple aura in his hand. Naruto tried to stop his hand, knew the damaging power Orochimaru was conjuring with arcane magic.

Sakura screamed, Naruto closed his eyes and then opened them. He was not dead. Orochimaru was looking at him through narrowed eyes, teeth pressing against teeth. Sakura screamed again.

Naruto looked down at Hinata, a blue aura surrounded her, Naruto snarled again, his eyes changed, pupils elongating and narrowing, his canines grew sharp like a wolf's mouth full of fangs. His fingers nails turned to claws, he drew back his arm and Hinata's aura infused with his and he slammed his fist into Orochimaru's face.

Blood poured down Orochimaru's face, a burst of fire incased his body, and he burned away with the wind and rain. Naruto fell back with the dead weight of Hinata. Lights danced around her corpse and she faded Naruto wiped his bloody palms against his pant legs and stood.

Naruto yelled and whirled around and charged towards Shikamaru and Temari, he killed the Sin before she could put up any kind of fight. "Where's Shino?" Naruto asked over the hammering of rain. He was looking up at the sky.

"Dead, Temari killed him and Tenten, too." Naruto cursed and whirled around just in time to see Sai slaughter Lee. The Virtue fell to the ground and vanished in a brilliant white light. Shikamaru cried out in pain and fell to his knees. Blood gushed out of his torn wing. "How?" he turned his head to see Lust standing behind him.

"Sariel…!" Naruto fell to his knees, turned up to see Sai, his arm inside his body, feeling around for that one organ that kept him eternally bound to the mortal coil. "Fuck- I couldn't protect Hinata and now… I cannot- forgive me, Michael-teme… and Sakura-chan. See ya… on the other side." His head dropped and blood trickled down his chin.

"No, there's no other side for you." he threw his heart away and watched Lust tear out Shikamaru's she was whispering something in his ear, he laughed with blood tumbling out his mouth, shaking his head. She frowned and nodded, but before she could rip out his heart, he crushed her larynx.

Sai finished what Ino could not. He kicked Shikamaru in the shoulder and he fell on his back. "This is turning into a complete mess." He said coughing up blood as it filled his lungs.

"I guess, but I'm still breathing. You are lacking a heart." He reached into his chest and came away with his heart. "Looks like Lucifer will-" Three bodies fell around Sai with heavy thuds, forming a triangle. The Watchers, all dead, bathed in fire. He looked up to see Sasuke rushing towards him. He angled his legs and kicked Sai in the chest.

Sasuke punched Sai until he was dead, but he showed no mercy for the corpse, he continued until the flame licked at his bloody hands. He turned his head to the sky and cried out; he rushed up into the sky, spiraling, wings flapping and hairs falling off his wings.

Sakura ran forward, the battlefield was empty. She looked up and called out to Sasuke, and then thrown to the ground, a body hovering over her. "Are you crazy?"

"Neji-san," Sakura whimpered and wrapped her arms around him. He was wet with rain and blood, his left wing was broken, there was a cut above his eyebrow, and a deep gash in his forearm. "I'm scared; really scared… everyone's dying." Neji looked up and glared, he turned his lavender eyes back on Sakura and brushed her wet hair from her face and kissed her forehead.

"Whatever might happen, Sakura-hime, I know you can take control of the situation. You are the gateway between worlds, you can save all this or you can destroy it. Save us, save this world and save that bastard Sasuke, before he turns into one of them. I believe in you."

"Neji… Nej- Ragual!" he was already gone, she rolled onto her side until she was on her stomach. Everyone was dead and Neji was going to his death. How did this happen… why was it happening? They were the good ones. The good ones always vanquished… or had she been reading too many fairytales?

She watched Neji kill Gaara and Gluttony kill Kankuro after Kankuro killed Neji, but he suffered death's hand. Sakura looked up. She was bloody and muddy and all she could see was Itachi and Sasuke, she blinked out the rain falling on her, watched the display of power between them, crackling lightening.

"Sakura…" she looked up. She looked at Itachi, could see him staring at her. Sasuke was losing. "Sakura… give me your power." Sakura stared at him, her lips quivering. "Give me your power, give into me." She nodded and closed her eyes, could feel the bond between them growing and expanding. "Give me your power so I can end this and then we'll be together forever, no one will try to take us away from each other again."

She could feel Sasuke dying, his life energy draining. "When you give me your power I can erase him forever, he'll never stand between us again. Open the floodgates to your power." Sakura felt a cool wind wash over her. She could feel herself floating and Sasuke peered down in horror.

A vortex opened around Sakura, one on her left and one on her right and one above her and another below. Her hair flowed around her and she opened her eyes a burst of light drowning out the insides of her eyes. Her dream seemed to be a prophecy now more than a vivid mental image. "Sakura," Sasuke yelled out at her, his eyes changing back into onyx and the marks on his skin receding. "…Sakura, stop!"

He felt her radiate energy. So pure, so strong and warm like a sluggish summer breeze. A burst of light flashed into the sky, blinding everything within range. He could only see white. This was wrong; it was not supposed to happen this way. They were supposed to seal away Itachi forever and he and Sakura were supposed to start their lives together, side by side.

They were supposed to stop the Lucifer; he was Michael, Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts, prince of light, exalted being, viceroy of heaven, the favorite. He was supposed to protect Gabriel, but more importantly, he was supposed to protect the woman he loved. He hated himself for letting the very Sin that killed his best friend kidnap Sakura, no matter what, he should have known better.

The wind was a strong gale, pushing back sandstones and other things no bigger than a boulder. It was almost too strong for him… almost. Sasuke had to break free and stop Sakura before she could merge her power with Itachi again, before she turned into that… whatever she had been with that crown forged into her head. He felt the invisible binds break. How could he let his worthless brother get the better of him?

Dark things came from the expanding vortex, fire shot up and the world began to change, the carnage of the battlefield spread, wails came and blood flooded over the earth, rising like water. Sakura lifted her arms above her head turned her palms upward and the crown manifested, two wings ripped from her back, two more shot from her lower back, connected to her spinal cord.

Another set of wings broke from under her skin and she brought the crown down on her own head, her dress coming away in black ribbons. Sasuke snarled in outrage and continued on the binds. He watched the wings fold around her nude body and Itachi closed his eyes.

"Too late, Otouto, you're too fucking late."

"No, I won't let their deaths be in vain!" He had felt when his brothers died and he had escaped Itachi long enough to kill the Sin that killed Raphael. Tears made his black eyes glitter and he shook his head. He did not have time to mourn; it was something Sariel kept telling him. He finally broke free, snapping his wrist in the process. He had to kill Itachi, he had to kill him, but he felt his energy draining.

Itachi and Sakura's powers were merging into one. The power was overflowing and the heat was intense, he was choking on it. He outstretched his wings and lunged at his brother. "I'm not going to seal you alive Itachi… I'm going to kill you."

Sasuke's eyes opened and watched a black mist surround Itachi, Itachi grabbed him by his torn shirtfront and his lips pulled back on a cruel smile. "SASUKE-KUN-!" Sakura was crying for him. He closed his eyes and knew that he had not yet lost her to Itachi completely.

The air went out of him in a grunt, and his head snapped back. Something was broken, the radiating heat burned, he heard the wet squelch and he lowered his head, teeth gritted as he opened one eye, sweat seeping out every tiny pour of his skin. He panted as he saw the blood coat Itachi's forearm.

There was a hole in his chest, deep and painful. Itachi face twisted into a dark look. Sasuke's vision took a few seconds to focus; he then reached down and wrapped his hands around his brother's forearm and elbow, both wet with his blood.

"Too bad there's no one to help you." He drew him close and smiled, "No way out now. When she was writhing in pleasure under me, she told me. She wanted me to have you, foolish Otouto, wanted me to rip out your heart where she could see, where no one comes to save you."

"You fucked her!" Sasuke snarled in outrage, the very thought, knowledge of his hated rival, sworn enemy, disgusted him, how dare something so unholy, so tainted, touch something so beautiful and innocent and wonderfully powerful like Sakura, his Gabriel.

"I did and she enjoyed it very much."

"I'll kill you, you sick bastard!" Itachi chuckled and his hand continued its search for his brother's heart. Sasuke grunted and winced. The pain was swallowing him up and either he would be dead in a few seconds or unconscious. Tears filled Sasuke's eyes again. His brothers were dead, his best friend was dead and he was losing Sakura.

"You think you're going to win, you haven't even begun to conceive my power. Michael, I have to tell you, this is all about power. And there is no one in the world with the power to stop me, not now, not ever."

Sasuke closed his eyes and felt his resolve waver, his hope falter, he was giving up. Everyone he knew was dead and Sakura was helping Itachi all because he failed in breaking her bond with Itachi. Sasuke was as good as dead. "Sakura I failed you, just like I failed Gabriel, I am… so sorry… I was not able to protect you. Forgive me."

Sakura's powers suddenly backfired and merged with Sasuke instead. He felt power rush through his veins and fill him, his eyes changed into deep red and black pools and he grabbed Itachi's arm and tugged it out of his chest, coming away without his heart in hand. Sasuke felt the power, wild magic, none of it his, all of it Sakura's.

It was dark and virtuous all at once, it was all of humanity, all of divinity. It was powerful, it renewed him and washed away the pain, he no longer felt his human side. It wrapped him like a transparent shield, electricity danced off his body, the sound of a thousand birds chirruping surrounded him like a rush of wind, and he opened his mouth on a warrior's shout.

Another set of wings shot from his lower back, fused at his spine much like Sakura's wings. A sword with a thin curved blade materialized in his hand, engulfed in a blue white flame and electricity. He stretched and arched his four wings and the sparks flickered as he drew back his empty fist.

Sakura fell, the vortexes closed, and Itachi shouted in protest. Sakura looked down into the flash flood of blood and screamed. "Sakura, Sakura!" she looked up at Itachi and slapped her hands to her ears, trying to ignore the bond between her and Itachi. Sasuke felt the abyss open up to him. Sasuke could kill him!

He pushed him inside the abyss even as Itachi reached for Sakura. Sakura closed her eyes, which helped with the dizziness she felt and the stench of blood filling her nostrils. She rose on shaking legs. The world was trembling as though she were looking at everything through a wavy glass bottom.

Sasuke punched his hand into his brother's chest and broke the ribs and felt for his heart, grabbed it tightly and ripped it out. Black fire grabbed at Sasuke's hands trying to take him into the abyss with the corpse of the darkest master. Sasuke spoke in Samarian and finished in Latin and the abyss closed up upon itself and flashed like a bright exploding star.

The crown burst and fell off in clumps and fragments of sharp metal and blood. Sakura wings retracted and she screamed at the pain deep inside her, every muscle throbbed and she shook her head watching the events in the sky. She closed her eyes and pressed her hand to the cross necklet around her neck.

Sakura started backing up, she kept retreating, oblivious to her nudity, she tripped and fell backwards and screamed when she felt blood splash over her face and enter her mouth. Sakura screamed again and scrambled to her feet. The abyss sealed up and Sakura screamed in pain, felt her bond with Itachi shatter like a glass window and the shards were piercing into her arms and legs.

She began bleeding; felt it slid over her blood-doused body. She let lose another round of screams and if Sasuke had not been there to catch her, she would have fallen again. She pushed away from him and half-staggered, half-ran down the flooded field.

When she was out of the flood of blood and into the damp dirt, she fell back onto her side and she held her body propped up on her palms. She threw up again and rolled to her left, falling into the wet dirt. Her head roared with pain and her vision exploded with starbursts of white blinding light.

She crawled as far as she could before she lost all of her strength. Her broken bond with Itachi had taken its toll on her. The ground came up and smacked into her body and there was nothing but soft, gray nothing, then the world was black and her head did not hurt at all.

Sasuke walked over to Sakura, knelt next to her, and touched her hair, wet with blood and rainwater. He was about to cover her when the world disappeared around them. A white backdrop surrounded them. The blood ceded from Sakura's body, a white sundress manifested on her and his torn clothes renewed and turned pure white.

Sasuke lifted Sakura and cradled her close to his body and materializing from the nothing that surrounded them, the Master appeared. He smiled at Sasuke, walked over to him and then frowned.

Sasuke pressed his temple to Sakura's forehead and closed his eyes. Sasuke never felt the way he did now in the presence of the Master before. He had a great fear filling him for the first time since standing before the one he served.

"Please…" he whispered softly, "Please, Master Sarutobi. Do not take her away from me. I love her." He looked up at him with sad, suppliant eyes. Sasuke had never felt sadness, as he was experiencing before, it outweighed the fear he felt.

"I know…" His voice was a soft tone with a warm edge. He reached out and Sasuke flinched. "It's okay. It's over; you don't have to be Michael anymore." Sasuke did not flinch again as Sarutobi pressed his hand over Sasuke's eyes. Sasuke closed his eyes and a breeze swept over his entire body, it brought him many things.

Sasuke's head jerked back, the hand over his eyes retracting memories, every memory inside his head. Tears washed down under the hand covering Sasuke's face. Sasuke realized what was happening. He never thought he would know the day when he would fall from grace, when the Master would take everything he knew and loved from him.

Images appeared and incinerated before him. The face of his friends appeared; Naruto, the others, the Virtues… so many faces floated by him. He saw her than, standing before him in that beautiful white dress, smiling and holding a hand out to him. Her bountiful hair cascaded around her shoulders. "Sakura." he said her name so softly that his lips never moved.

She was more beautiful than the day he first laid eyes on her. She turned around and she broke apart like a bubble bursting. He cried out in horror and screamed her name and quickly forgot her face, her smile, her laugher, her eyes… what color were her eyes?

He woke with a start, gasping and sweating. He ran his hand through his hair. He was lying on his back. He did not know where he was. For a moment, he watched dawn slide across the sky like a curtain of light. The last few stars glittered like diamond chips against the soft glow of the rising sun.

There was a deep pain in his chest and he could feel the beginnings of a migraine. He sat up, pushing on his elbows and then his hands and he drew up his legs. He looked around and realized he was alone in the middle of nowhere. With a groan, he rose to his feet.

Something had happened, but he did not know what. He ground his teeth in frustration and he looked up at the pale blue sky. He was panting with exertion as if he had run a marathon. He closed his eyes trying to think, to remember.

Everything was empty. He did not know where he was or how he got there, but the worst of it was… he did not know who he was. All he knew was a name, but it was not his, it was someone else's, a woman's name. "Sakura…?" But who was she? Who was Sakura?

He cried out in aggravation and opened his eyes again. Amnesia, but how, what happened to him? Why was he in the middle of a deserted desolate tract? "Why can't I remember?" The sound of his own voice relaxed him; at least he could talk, hear and see. All his senses seemed to work.

He never felt so alone or lost, or maybe he did, he just did not know.

The sound of a calling falcon caught his attention and he looked to see it flying overhead, getting smaller and smaller as it flew away, and another wave of relief washed over him and suddenly he did not feel so alone. It made him laugh for some reason. Once he started laughing, he could not stop.

Amnesia was a bitch, he could remember all the basic functions, but things like friends, family and places were all lost to him. "Sakura…" he said again, catching his breath and holding his hand to his aching chest. Somehow, the name made him smile. Was she someone he knew and if he knew her, how did he know her?

He had to find this… Sakura, perhaps she could tell him who he was; maybe she was the key to his past. She was his only hope to put the puzzle of his fragmented life back together. He wanted to know, he wanted to know everything from start to finish.

Maybe this Sakura was a childhood friend, a family member, he hoped she was someone who could tell him the extent of his life, but even if she could not, even if all she could offer him was his name, somehow that felt like a start.

He started walking, not knowing which way he should go. He just started walking towards the horizon away from the wasteland; perhaps he would find some kind of town.

All he wanted to know was who he was and who Sakura was. They were the only goals on his mind, but once he found those answers, what then? He shook it out, one thing at a time first he had to find Sakura then he could ask other question, but he did not know where she was or how to find her.

He did not know what she looked like. For all he knew there could be millions of women named Sakura. Something inside him gave ease to that question, like a honey-coated voice.

_You'll know,_ it said. _You will know._


End file.
